Bengaluru, Jan 30 (IANS) Karnataka cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has decided to utilise and control the land attached to the Bengaluru Palace Grounds located in the heart of Bengaluru city.
The Mysuru royal family owns the land and has said that they would initiate legal proceedings against the move.
Addressing the media, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs H.K. Patil said that the cabinet discussed the implementation of the Bengaluru Palace Grounds Usage and Regulation Ordinance, 2025, which was issued on January 29, 2025.
“The Governor has approved the ordinance. The ordinance provides authority for the government to utilise and control the land. We will implement the Ordinance. Whatever is necessary, we will draw that power, of which the government is empowered now and do the act which is necessary,” he announced.
He added: “I don’t want to go into the details of the Bengaluru Palace Grounds land is being rented out. There is litigation with that family and the government about whether they are empowered or not, we are contending that they are illegal structures, that is all there and I don’t want to go into details.
He added that the Ordinance has empowered the government and it will take necessary actions in consonance with the order.
“The Ordinance has been promulgated. The necessary actions would follow,” he reiterated.
Minister Patil said that the Supreme Court order on December 10, 2024, asking the government to compensate for 15 acres of land of the Bengaluru Palace Grounds through Transferable Development Rights (TDR) has rendered the road expansion plan unviable. The payment of huge amounts as compensation is against the interest of the public and public policy.
Considering the severe impact on the state, the Bengaluru road-widening project is being dropped in the interest of the public under Section 3 of the Bengaluru Palace Grounds Usage and Regulation Ordinance, 2025, he stated.
Earlier, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had clarified that the government’s decision to promulgate an ordinance to take over the prime property of Bengaluru Palace Grounds, owned by the Mysuru royal family, is not driven by enmity.
Sources said that Siddaramaiah has expedited the government’s legal fight in the Supreme Court to acquire the Bengaluru Palace and surrounding places following the contest of the royal family’s scion, Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar from the Mysuru-Kodagu Lok Sabha election as the BJP candidate.
Mysuru is the native town of Siddaramaiah. He suffered a setback as Yaduveer registered a thumping victory against the Congress candidate M. Laxman, a close confidante of Siddaramaiah.
In 2015, Siddaramaiah announced that his government would expedite the legal proceedings to take over the Palace Grounds.
Responding to the issue, Mysuru’s Maharani Pramoda Devi Wadiyar had stated that if any injustice is done to them regarding the Bengaluru Palace matter, they will pursue a legal battle.
Minister H.K. Patil further stated that the cabinet meeting held on Thursday has also decided to contain the density of population in Bengaluru by developing the surrounding towns and cities. Devanahalli, Magadi, Nelamangala, Hosakote, Doddaballapur and Bidadi will be developed as satellite townships with better road and rail connectivity.
The cabinet also agreed to implement the “Greater Bengaluru Samagra Upanagara” scheme to develop 10 villages in Ramanagara district under the Greater Bengaluru Development Authority. The permission is given to acquire the 8,032 acres of land. It has been decided to provide compensation of developed land of up to 35 to 50 per cent to the farmers. The townships would be developed and designed by companies chosen in the international tender.
The cabinet has agreed to increase the quota of reservation for sportspersons from 2 per cent to 3 per cent in the direct recruitment of police department from the level of police constable to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP).
The Bidar City Municipal Council will be converted into the Bidar City Corporation.
The cabinet also decided to merge or shut down the public companies. There are 125 public companies in the state among which 34 are making profits, 33 are incurring losses and 16 companies are non-functional and shut down.
It has also been decided to continue L.K. Ateeq in the post of the Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister on a contract basis post his retirement.
