Wadiyars to give land for widening road

Seeking to end the 32-year-old legal battle over the ownership of the Bangalore Palace Grounds, the royal family of Mysore, the Wadiyars, may part with the land required for widening the Bellary Road.

Princesses Meenakshi Devi, Kamakshi Devi, Indirakshi Devi and Vishalakshi Devi, all daughters of Maharaja Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar, in a joint press statement on Wednesday said that they were ready to give away a portion of the land if the Bangalore City Corporation (BCC) issues the transferable development rights (TDR) certificate to them.

A couple of months ago, the Wadiyars had met chief minister H D Kumaraswamy for an out-of-court settlement. They own about 140 acres of Bangalore Palace Grounds facing Ramana Maharshi Road while Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, the only son of Jayachamarajendra, owns 310 acres.

"If the BCC issues the TDR certificate, we will surrender the land required for widening the Bellary road," they said.

In 1996, the Karnataka government had passed the Bangalore Palace Acquisition Act to take over the property. Subsequently, the Wadiyars appealed to the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the acquisition. The case is still on.