The impasse over the Dr. K. Shivaram Karanth Layout is likely to be resolved soon, and the decks are being made for the allotment of 5,000 sites in Phase I of the Layout, developed by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA). This will be the first time in a decade that BDA sites will be available via allotment. The last allotment was done in Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout in 2016.
These sites were scheduled to be allotted in January 2024. However, the High Court of Karnataka stayed the process in December 2023, hearing petitions by land losers who contested that no sites should be allotted to the public till their compensation package is settled.
The High Court has now permitted BDA to allot developed land as compensation to land losers, and the BDA has already begun the process. For every acre of land acquired for the Layout, land losers will get 9555 sq. ft of developed land.
“Once we allot developed lands to land losers, we will go back to the High Court and seek permission to allot sites to the public. This was the hurdle for allotting sites to the public and with this cleared, we are confident of getting permission to allot sites to the public,” said P. Manivannan, Commissioner, BDA.
Transparent process
“We have prepared software for allotment of developed land for land losers. The data of all land losers, the extent of land they have given up, is fed into the system. Allotment will be a transparent process through computerised randomisation. All allotment will be done in one day,” said Mr. Manivannan. “We recently allotted alternate sites to those in Arkavathy Layout in Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout the same way. The chairman, BDA, is clear that no one should run around for their sites,” he added.
Mr. Manivannan said that they were working towards the allotment of developed lands to land losers in Dr. K. Shivaram Karanth Layout by mid-January, 2026.
Land losers welcome move
Land losers have welcomed BDA’s to finally allot developed land as compensation for their lands acquired for the Layout. Notification for 3,546 acres in 17 villages in North Bengaluru was issued way back in 2008, nearly two decades ago.
“We fought the layout tooth and nail in a decades-long legal battle. But we lost it, and the Layout is a reality now. We will accept the developed land as compensation. The High Court has asked BDA to allot us developed lands. But BDA is yet to communicate anything to us,” said Nanjundappa, a former city councillor, president, Shivaram Karanth Layout Hitharakshana Samiti, and a land loser himself.
Demand for commercial sites
However, land losers are demanding that land losers should also be given a commercial site as part of the compensation package, and not just residential sites.
“We are locals and many who have lost farm lands have also lost their means for livelihood. We demand that BDA should provide a commercial site as well, which will provide a means of livelihood. Of the total land being allotted to a land loser, may be 10% should be a commercial site,” Mr. Nanjundappa said. However, BDA has not agreed to this proposal.
BDA had fixed ₹4,900/sq. ft for allotment in December 2023. This means a 30X40 site costs ₹59 lakh, making it the costliest BDA site via allotment. However, there has been real estate speculation in the area since the Layout was announced, and the cost of a sqft of land has already inched towards the ₹5,500 level. Whether BDA will revise its rate or allot sites at the same rate of ₹4,900/sq. ft is not yet decided, sources in the BDA said.
Published – December 06, 2025 08:00 pm IST
