File: Aerial view of Bangalore Palace and Palace Grounds. Source: Wikimedia Commons
Bengaluru: In a significant development regarding the land dispute at the Bengaluru Palace Grounds, the Supreme Court has granted temporary relief to the Karnataka government, issuing a stay on the payment of approximately ₹3,400 crores related to the Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) certificate.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court provided this interim relief in connection with the ongoing legal battle over the Bengaluru Palace Grounds. The court has placed a stay on a previous order that mandated the transfer of the TDR certificate, valued at around ₹3,400 crores, to the royal family.
A three-member bench led by Justice Surya Kant issued this order, scheduling the next hearing for the review petition on July 21 and the main civil petition for August 18.
The state government had intended to acquire a total of 15.36 acres of land for road widening near the Bengaluru Palace Grounds. In response, the royal family approached the Supreme Court. The court had previously directed the government to provide TDR compensation at the rate of ₹200 crores per acre, totaling ₹3,400 crores.
However, the government resisted the TDR payment, invoking a legal strategy. Consequently, the royal family filed a contempt petition against the state government for failing to provide the compensation. On May 22, the Supreme Court had ordered the government to proceed with the TDR payment. Following this, the Karnataka government sought a review of that order.
After hearing the arguments presented by senior advocate Kapil Sibal on behalf of the Karnataka government, the Supreme Court has now issued a stay on the transfer of the TDR. Advocate General K. Shashi Kiran Shetty and Additional Advocate General Nishant Patil represented the state government during the proceedings.
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