After issuing ₹1 crore TDR notice, BBMP takes possession of Bangalore Palace property for road widening

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has taken possession of a portion of the Bangalore Palace property for the road widening project after the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) issued a notice for Transferable Development Rights (TDR) compensation. 

BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath told The Hindu: “We have taken possession of the land for the project. A few days ago, the BDA issued a notice to the property owner to provide ₹1 crore as TDR compensation. But no one received the TDR, even as the BDA went to physically hand it over.” 

In the notice, it is mentioned that in case no one receives the notice, the authorities are deemed to take possession of the land for widening the road stretches on Ballari road and Jayamahal road. The BBMP has now officially taken possession of the land, Mr. Giri Nath informed. 

Another senior BBMP official said on Tuesday that the BDA first took possession of 15 acres and 17.5 guntas of the palace property and later, it was handed over to the BBMP. While the TDR calculation was done by the BBMP based on the Bangalore Palace (Acquisition and Transfer) Act, 1996, the BBMP has no authority to issue TDR.

472 acres of palace land in middle of Bengaluru are worth just ₹11 crore, BDA issues notice to pay TDR compensation of ₹1 crore for 15 acres to widen roads

“We handed over the necessary documents to the BDA and they issued the TDR. As property owners of the litigated prime land have not received the notice, the same was sent by post. The notice was enclosed with the copy of the TDR to inform them that the TDR is ready,” the official said. 

Earlier, there was confusion that the government had to pay ₹1,400 crore compensation. This would have come true if the value of the land for compensation was calculated based on guidance value. However, in the case of palace property, the government in 1996 enacted a law for acquiring the land and the same has been applied for this property too. 

The official said under this Act, 472 acres of palace land is worth ₹11 crore, and 15 acres is valued at ₹60 lakh and 1.5 times the sum would come to around ₹1 crore. As the matter is also in the Supreme Court, the BBMP will inform the apex court that the civic body has complied with the direction of issuing the TDR.