Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has asked Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to release defence land and relax certain restrictions for seven Bengaluru infrastructure projects, including road expansions, a proposed park near Iblur firing range and a tunnel linking Hebbal with Central Silk Board.
Shivakumar made the request during a meeting with Singh in New Delhi on Monday, according to a report by Prajavani. The proposals involve land controlled by the Defence Ministry as well as changes to construction permissions around defence airports in Bengaluru.
One of the largest requests concerns about 730 acres of unused defence land near the Iblur firing range. The state government wants permission to develop the land as a park and green zone. The Chief Minister reportedly told the Defence Minister that Karnataka was not seeking ownership of the land, but permission to use it for public purposes. The request referred to an arrangement in Varanasi where Reserve Bank of India land was made available for park development.
The state also sought assistance with ten notified slum areas located on defence land in Bengaluru. Together, these settlements cover about 43.83 acres. The Chief Minister said identifying an equivalent parcel within Bengaluru’s dense urban limits would be difficult, particularly near existing military or defence establishments. The state has proposed handing over an equivalent area of government land at a suitable alternative location and offered to share a list of available parcels with defence authorities.
The request also included permission for urgent repairs and development work in the settlements, which reportedly face flooding during the monsoon. The proposal places the land question alongside a wider issue affecting Bengaluru’s urban administration: improving living conditions in settlements located on land controlled by agencies outside the city government’s direct authority.
Another major request concerns construction restrictions around HAL Airport and Yelahanka Air Force Station. Shivakumar said additional restrictions imposed by HAL Airport authorities were obstructing development and transport planning in surrounding areas. The state has asked the Defence Ministry to issue clearer guidelines for the 20-kilometre restriction zone around defence airports and reduce the area in which mandatory no-objection certificates are required from 20 kilometres to 15 kilometres, while also considering aviation safety.
The state government is seeking defence land for several road projects. A 24-metre road is proposed from Agara Road through Ejipura to Sarjapur Road, running alongside Bellandur Lake and designed to provide an alternative to heavily congested inner and outer ring roads. The land requirement was initially estimated at 10.07 acres and later revised to 13.7 acres after a joint survey with local military officials. Karnataka has asked for the transfer process to be expedited.
For a proposed underground tunnel between the Hebbal junction near Esteem Mall on Ballari Road and Central Silk Board, the state requires 2.03 acres from Hebbal Defence Dairy Farm. The authorities have reportedly assessed a licence fee of Rs 60.72 crore, equivalent to 33% of the land value. Shivakumar has asked that the fee be reduced to 2% of the land value.
The state has also applied for 6.8 acres of defence land for a link road from Ballari Road to Sarovara Layout. The proposed road, listed as an 18-metre-wide connection in the Revised Master Plan 2015, is intended to improve access to the layout behind Hebbal Defence Dairy Farm. In addition, the Greater Bengaluru Authority has sought 0.77 acres to widen the Ballari Road stretch up to Mekhri Circle from two lanes to three lanes, with the stated aim of reducing congestion at a major route towards the airport.
The requests now require consideration by the Defence Ministry and the concerned military and airport authorities. The report does not state whether any of the land transfers, fee reduction or proposed construction-rule changes have received approval.
