BENGALURU: The Karnataka Veterinary Association (KVA) and three others have moved the Karnataka High Court against the allotment of 7 acres of land of the Veterinary College in Hebbal in the city, of which four acres is for the construction of residential quarters for the judges of the high court and three acres for the construction of a Human Super Speciality Hospital.
After hearing the petition challenging the order dated January 8, 2026, passed by the state government approving the allotment of land, the division bench comprising Justice D K Singh and Justice T M Nadaf issued notice to the state government on Friday.
KVA, an association of veterinary doctors, was joined by three other bodies, such as Bangalore Veterinary College Alumni Association, Senior Veterinarians’ Association, and Dairy Science College Alumni Association, as the petitioners in filing this petition.
It was stated that the KVA addressed letters to the state government, requesting withdrawal of the government order approving the allocation of 7 acres of land belonging to the Karnataka Veterinary Animal and Fisheries Science University (KVAFSU) and situated at the Veterinary College campus at Hebbal for non-veterinary purposes.
The petitioners said the reduction of the lands of the veterinary college will impair undergraduate and postgraduate programs and future expansion. The lands of the veterinary college serve as a lung space for Bengaluru city and also a habitat for various rare species of plants, birds and snakes. The introduction of residential and human healthcare facilities would pose biosecurity and public health risks, it said.
According to the petitioners, more than 100 acres of land on the college campus is used for research activities alone. Decline in any research quality and output will reduce the ranking of the college and consequently lead to a decline in funding by the state and central government and its agencies. Another representation was submitted by the college to the state government on February 16, highlighting that the Dairy Science College requires lands for facilities such as an incubation centre, a specialised milk plant, hostels, demonstration plants, etc. and has opposed the government order in question.
It was alleged that the impugned order was issued without consulting the stakeholders, including KVAFSU and its constituent colleges, whose land is now proposed to be diverted for other purposes. The state government has not considered that the minimum standards of veterinary education, prescribed by the Veterinary Council of India, stipulate the minimum extent of land required for veterinary colleges.