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Karnataka Congress government has allotted 52 acres of land worth ₹255 crore to 22 Dalit and OBC mathas in Bengaluru, sparking controversy. Finance and law departments had opposed the move citing Karnataka Land Grant Rules 1969 and legal concerns.
Karnataka Faces Backlash Over Land Allotment to Religious Institutions
Bengaluru: The Congress government in Karnataka recently decided to give land worth a total of ₹255 crore to 22 Dalit and OBC monasteries. This proposal came after the Finance and Law departments strongly objected. The departments warned that government land within city limits cannot be given to private organizations and that the decision could lead to legal scrutiny.
According to documents, Gomala land and government land within city limits are not permitted to be sold or given to private organizations. Furthermore, according to the Karnataka Land Grant Rules, 1969, government land must be used only for public benefit, not for any private organization. Despite this, senior ministers overrode the department's objections and approved the proposal.
In early 2025, Dalit and backward class saints requested land from the government for their social and religious work. The government allocated this land based on their demand and the functions of their monasteries.
This land is located in the Ravuttanahalli area of Bengaluru North district. A total of approximately 52 acres of land was allocated to these 22 monasteries under survey numbers 57 and 58. Depending on the size of the monasteries and their activities, each monastery was allotted land ranging from 20 guntas to four acres.
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According to the Finance Department, if this land is developed, it could cost approximately ₹4.8 crore per acre. Revenue officials also stated that some of the monasteries that received the land are new and have no records of their charitable work. Citing previous Supreme Court orders, officials argued that land for public use should be protected.
This decision has now sparked political and legal controversy. The opposition has called it a violation of rules and an unfair allocation of government land. Meanwhile, the government has presented it as an effort to develop socially and economically disadvantaged communities. It remains to be seen whether this will face legal scrutiny.
