7-floor building in Cubbon Park gets OK

The Karnataka High Court last week gave a green signal for the construction of a seven-storied new annexe building of the high court within Cubbon Park (Sri Jayachamarajendra Gardens). The proposed building will be the first to come up within Cubbon Park after a ban on such constructions came into place under the Karnataka Government Park (Preservation) Act, 1975 almost two decades ago.

While allowing the construction of the new building, the high court ordered that no tree shall be axed and no changes be made to the existing road. According to the order available with DH, the proposed building would come up at the place of the old Election Commissioner’s Office located between the Press Club and the Old KGID Building. The old structure will be completely razed to pave way for the seven-storied building with two levels of basement.

Following the high court order in the G K Govinda Rao vs State of Karnataka and other related cases (2001) which ruled that any construction within Cubbon Park limits has to be approved by the court, the Registrar General of the Karnataka High Court appealed before the high court in September 2014 seeking permission to build a new annexe building by axing 17 trees and shifting of the existing road.

Five years after the petition was filed, the single judge bench headed by Justice P S Dinesh Kumar on October 17 ordered permission to construct the building according to the revised plan which required no cutting of trees or shifting the existing road.

Though the initial plan required cutting of 17 trees and shifting the road, the PWD’s revised building plan required no cutting of trees or shifting the road. Further, Prabhuling K Navadagi, assistant solicitor general submitted to the court that the government will construct the building according to the revised plan.

According to the revised plan, the new building will come up on the same plinth area of the existing building.

“The new plan contemplates construction of the total constructed area of 4,924 square metres, including two basements and seven floors with the height of each floor being 3.60 metres... In view of the new proposal, the question of shifting the road or removal of 17 trees as proposed earlier would not arise.”

Considering the submissions of both the parties, the high court allowed the petition and granted permission to take up construction without cutting any trees.

The High Court is as follow: