H.K. Patil
| Photo Credit:

In the light of the Supreme Court last week stating that its order on issuing the Transferable Development Rights (TDR) to the erstwhile Mysore royal family for the land notified to be acquired from Bangalore Palace Grounds for road-widening work was “not negotiable”, the State government is yet to decide on the future course of action, but is likely to appeal against the order.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil told presspersons here, after the Cabinet meeting, that extensive discussions were held and it was decided that legal experts would be consulted before making any decision. While he said that it is most likely that the State government would go on an appeal, a decision would be taken after meeting legal experts.

Asked if the apex court’s instructions to the State government were a setback, the Minister said, “We have made our position clear. Our intention is to protect the interests of the State as well as the property of the State. We have made a great deal of explanation on the issue and the cost of the TDR that runs into ₹3,000 crore is not acceptable and hence we promulgated the Ordinance.”

After the Supreme Court directed the State government to provide TDR for 15 acres and 39 guntas of the palace property that had been notified in 2009 to be used for widening Ballari Road and Jayamahal Road and costing about ₹3,000 crore, the State government promulgated the Bangalore Palace (Utilisation and Regulation of Land) Ordinance, 2025, giving itself the right to either acquire the property or not acquire it, effectively dropping the road-widening plans.

A top government source said it was not proper to pay the TDR of about ₹200 crore per acre for land where the road is yet to be completed. “It is a tricky issue and requires deliberations. We are very sure that we do not want to give TDR for ₹3,000 crore.” Asked if the government was willing to look at an “out of court settlement” with members of the erstwhile royal family, the source did not outrightly reject or acknowledge the move. “The difference between our acquisition cost (₹11 crore) and TDR amount (₹3,000 crore) is very high,” the source said.

The source said that Bangalore Palace (Acquisition and Transfer) Act, 1996, the original Act that has been questioned in the Supreme Court, is still in force as the court has not stayed it. The government was willing to pay the TDR as per the cost of the acquisition that was about ₹11 crore for the entire 472 acre property.