BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court issued notice to the state government and Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) in a public interest litigation filed against the resolution passed to demolish its existing headquarters and construct a modern building to mark its golden jubilee.
A division bench of Justice Anu Sivaraman and Justice KS Bharath Kumar issued notice after hearing the petition filed by BM Shivakumar and H Shivaram, social activists from the city, challenging the BDA’s resolution dated December 30, 2025, proposing demolition of the headquarters situated on T Chowdaiah Road, Kumara Park West.
According to the petitioners, the initial office blocks were constructed in 1978. In light of the BDA’s workload, as staff was expanding, the existing headquarters became insufficient, resulting in the construction of an additional four-storey ‘Development Bhavan’ in 2004, next to the headquarters complex. An amount of around Rs 25 crore was utilised for the upkeep of the BDA head office building.
As the 50th anniversary of BDA was approaching, the agency, without rhyme or reason, has taken an arbitrary decision to demolish the existing structure and build a modern structure in its place, vide its Board meeting dated December 30, 2025.
This is without taking prior approval of the State government, authenticated structural and technical assessment of the existing building, or complying with applicable statutory requirements and obtaining requisite approvals, the plea said.
The BDA Act mandates that it seek prior approval from the state for any development. However, that does not exclude the BDA from taking arbitrary action and unilaterally accord sanction or pass a resolution for demolishing the existing structure, which is not necessarily an old building, the petitioners alleged.
Explaining that huge public money is at stake, the petitioners stated that the BDA is in a bad state financially, and has not audited its accounts for more than five years, nor has the same been placed in public domain.
Any demolition of an existing building followed by substantial expenditure for reconstruction would have serious consequences for public property and exchequer.