Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has asked Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to transfer or permit the use of defence-owned land for seven proposed Bengaluru projects, including a twin tunnel, road expansions, a link road, a city park and redevelopment of notified slum areas.
Shivakumar submitted the request during a meeting with Singh in New Delhi on Monday, according to the letter reported by Vijay Karnataka. The proposals involve land under defence establishments in several parts of Bengaluru, where land ownership and project permissions have become a key constraint for road, mobility and public-space works.
One of the largest requests relates to about 730 acres near the Iblur Firing Range. The state government has proposed developing the unused land as a park and green zone. Shivakumar said the state was not seeking ownership of the property, but permission to use it for the proposed public purpose. The letter cited the use of land belonging to the Reserve Bank of India in Varanasi for a park as a precedent.
The state has also sought permission to address 10 notified slum areas located on different defence properties. Together, the settlements cover about 43 acres. The government has proposed resolving the issue through mutual agreement and identifying alternative land where required. Shivakumar said finding equivalent land within Bengaluru would be difficult because the city is already heavily developed and suitable sites adjoining existing military or defence establishments are limited.
The letter said the state would share a list of available land to help defence authorities identify suitable alternatives. It also noted that residents of some of the settlements face waterlogging during the monsoon and requested permission for urgent improvement works in those areas.
For the Agara-Sarjapur Road connection, the government has sought land for a 24-metre-wide road linking Agara Road to Sarjapur Road through Ejipura. The original request covered 10.07 acres, but a joint survey with local military authorities revised the requirement to 13.709 acres. A revised application was submitted on February 4, 2025, according to the letter. The proposed connection is intended to provide an alternative route around congested inner and outer ring-road corridors.
The proposed twin tunnel between Hebbal and Central Silk Board is another major request. The planned underground route would run from the Esteem Mall junction on Ballari Road towards Central Silk Board to improve connectivity for northern Bengaluru and traffic travelling to Kempegowda International Airport. The state has identified a requirement for 2.039 acres from the Hebbal Defence Dairy Farm and has sought permission for construction through defence areas near Mekhri Circle.
The letter said an application for permission was submitted on March 25, 2025. It also referred to a July 29, 2026 order requiring the payment of a licence fee equal to 33% of the land value, calculated at Rs 60.72 crore. Shivakumar asked the Defence Ministry to reduce the fee to 2% of the land value, describing the existing charge as expensive.
A separate request concerns an 18-metre-wide link road from the airport road to Sarovara Layout behind the Hebbal Defence Dairy Farm. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike has completed the required survey, and an application has been filed through the defence portal for the transfer of 6.837 acres.
The state has additionally requested 0.775 acres from the Project Research and Testing Centre and the Directorate General of Quality Assurance near Mekhri Circle. The land would support the widening of the road from the GBA side towards Mekhri Circle from two lanes to three lanes, with the stated aim of reducing congestion at a major route towards the airport.
Shivakumar also asked the Centre to relax building restrictions around defence airfields in Bengaluru. The letter said restrictions under GSR 751(E) within a 20-kilometre radius of defence airports were affecting development around HAL Airport and the Yelahanka air bases. It requested clearer guidelines, a reduction of the mandatory no-objection certificate radius from 20 kilometres to 15 kilometres, and consideration of shifting helicopter testing activities to HAL-2 in Tumakuru.
The requests remain subject to consideration and approval by the Defence Ministry and relevant defence authorities. The state government’s letter seeks decisions on land access, licence charges, construction permissions and building restrictions before the proposed projects can proceed on the identified defence properties.
