Karnataka High Court moved against Bengaluru township project

The petitioner argues that instead of following the statutory process, the government has hurriedly initiated a Rs 26-crore tender to appoint a master plan consultant for the township.

Bengaluru: The proposed Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township project near Bidadi has come under legal scrutiny, with a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) being filed in the Karnataka High Court challenging the acquisition of nearly 516 acres of fertile agricultural land for the mega urban development project.

The PIL has been filed by social activist, Rajesh Kamplapur Basavanna, from Mysuru district, seeking the cancellation of the final land acquisition notification issued by the State government on June 13, 2026. The petition is likely to be heard by the Bench headed by Chief Justice V Kameswar Rao Bhakru.

State govt failed to comply with Land Acquisition Act: Petitioner

According to the petition, the State government has failed to comply with the mandatory provisions of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, which requires a Social Impact Assessment before agricultural land can be acquired for public projects. The petitioner argues that instead of following the statutory process, the government has hurriedly initiated a Rs 26-crore tender to appoint a master plan consultant for the township.

The plea further states that the State Cabinet had accepted the recommendations of the Prof M Govinda Rao Committee in February 2026 to address regional imbalances by directing future large-scale investments towards backward districts in North Karnataka and Kalyana Karnataka.

However, the petitioner alleges that the government has ignored those recommendations by proposing investments of over Rs 12,500 crore in the Bengaluru region, thereby defeating the objective of balanced regional development.

The petition also highlights environmental concerns, stating that Bengaluru is already facing severe water shortages and ecological stress. Developing another large township on fertile agricultural land, it argues, would worsen groundwater depletion, increase urban pressure and adversely impact the environment.

Seeking judicial intervention, the petitioner has requested the High Court to set aside the land acquisition notification, suspend all related tender and acquisition proceedings, and direct the government to constitute an expert committee to examine the feasibility of shifting the project to less-developed regions of the State where industrial land banks are already available.

The case is expected to come up for hearing before the High Court in the coming days.