Notice to State government on PIL seeking 30 acre land for constructing new building for Karnataka High Court

The High Court of Karnataka on Monday ordered issue of notice to the State government on a PIL petition, which has sought a direction to the State government to provide a 30-acre land for construction of a new state-of-the-art building for the High Court, which is facing severe space constrains, in the central business area.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C.M. Poonacha passed the order on the petition filed way back in June 2023 by Sharan Desai, a city-based architect.

It has been pointed out in the petition that though the government had agreed to construct a new seven-storied building near the existing main building of the High Court, the move was not taken forward for various reasons, including the issue related to construction on the boundary of the Cubbon Park.

Inconvenience caused

Pointing out that staff of the High Court and litigants face problem due to the scattering of various branches of the High Court in different government buildings far away from the court’s main building, the petitioner has said that the government should provide at least 30 acres of land in city’s centra area and construct a state-of-the-art building.

The present petition was filed when the several branches, which were housed in the basement floor of the High Court’s annexe building, were being shifted to different government buildings after a few PIL petitions questioned the use of basement floors for housing offices of various branches of the court.

The petitioner, who back in 2023, had suggested the possibility of making use of the lands of the Bangalore Turfs Club Pvt. Ltd. on Race Course Road, Bengaluru Palace Grounds, or Bengaluru Golf Club on Sankey Road etc., on Monday pointed out to the court that recently Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar too has given a statement to the media that the government is identifying land for constructing a new building for the High Court.

In Attara Kacheri

At present the High Court is housed in Attara Kacheri,constructed during 1968 and had housed administrative departments of the princely State during the British regime, and in the annexe building, constructed behind the Attara Kacheri during 1980s after dropping the initial plan to demolish the old Attara Kacheri and construct a new building.

In addition, the different wings of the High Court are functioning in the adjacent KGID building, and various government buildings situated away from the main building on Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Veedhi.