BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court has revised its earlier interim order regarding the Dr. K Shivaram Karanth Layout case. The new ruling allows the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) to invite applications for sites but prohibits any allotments without prior court permission.
A special division bench, consisting of Justices M. Nagaprasanna and Venkatesh Naik T, passed this order after reviewing an interlocutory application and an affidavit from BDA that outlined the authority’s financial situation.
The Advocate General mentioned that in January 2024, the High Court instructed BDA to maintain the status quo on calling applications for the layout. The authority contended that the inability to invite applications had led to an increasing interest burden on the loans taken for the project.
According to the affidavit, the state government approved the layout with an estimated budget of Rs 5,337 crore. BDA has spent approximately Rs 3,370 crore by March 10, 2026, and anticipates needing an additional Rs 1,966 crore to complete the project.
BDA indicated that it has taken loans from banks to settle contractors’ bills and is facing pressure to service these debts while also funding other significant projects such as Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout, Arkavathy Layout, and the proposed Bengaluru Business Corridor.
Recognizing the substantial interest burden, the bench has authorized BDA to solicit applications for sites in the layout, but emphasized that any allotments will depend on future court directives.
