BENGALURU: Amid a walkout by opposition parties, the Bangalore Palace (Utilisation and Regulation of Land) Bill was passed in the Legislative Council on Monday. With the bill, the Karnataka government reaffirms its ownership over 472 acre and 16 guntas of Palace Grounds land in the heart of the city and also attempts not to pay over Rs 3,000 crore TDR (Transferable Development Rights) to the erstwhile Mysuru royal family, which was to be paid for 15 acres of land needed for road widening.
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil, who tabled the bill in the Council, said, “To address traffic congestion on Ballari Road, the government intends to widen the road and needs 15 acres of Bangalore Palace land. For this, over Rs 3,000 crore of TDR was to be given to the royal family.”
He said that at Rs 200 crore per acre, if the government agrees to give TDR and widen the road, it will be the costliest road in the world.
Raising their voice, opposition members recalled the contributions of Mysuru kings and said introducing a bill only to acquire the Bangalore Palace land is not justifiable and that it will give an impression that the government is involved in vendetta politics against the royal family. They suggested that a common bill be made for acquiring land in Bengaluru and not the palace land alone.
Council opposition leader Chalavadi Narayanaswamy said the bill should be reconsidered and it would be disrespectful to the royal family. An amicable solution should be arrived at by engaging in a dialogue with the members of the royal family, he suggested.
Opposition members pointed out that the guidance value for areas around Sanjay Nagar is over Rs 2 lakh per square metre and along with compensation, it would reach Rs 3,000 crore TDR and there is nothing wrong in giving it to the royal family.
Patil informed the House that the state has powers to bring enactments to acquire land and pointed out that this has been done in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and the courts have upheld them too.
As the opposition walked out, the bill was passed.