"Karnataka Cabinet Approves Sale of 3,667 Acres to JSW Steel in Ballari Amid Legal Requirements"

The Karnataka Cabinet has approved the execution of an absolute sale deed for the transfer of 3,667.31 acres of land to JSW Steel in Ballari district. This decision was made under legal compulsion, according to H.K. Patil, Minister of Law and Parliamentary Affairs.

Patil explained that the government was required to complete the sale deed due to a writ of mandamus. Interestingly, Patil had previously opposed the transfer and called for a re-examination of the proposal back in 2019.

The move follows a court order directing the state government to honor the sale-cum-lease agreement with JSW Steel. The original agreement, signed in 2006-2007, faced delays in final execution over the years. The JD(S)-Congress coalition had opposed the sale, citing concerns over the land being sold at too low a price. Later, when the BJP came to power, B.S. Yediyurappa’s Cabinet set up a committee in November 2020 to review the sale, but this decision was put on hold a month later.

Under the approved sale, 2,000.58 acres in Kurekuppa and Toranagallu villages will be sold at ₹1.22 lakh per acre, while 1,666.73 acres in Musinayakanahalli, Yerabanahalli, and Toranagallu in Sandur taluk will be sold at ₹1.5 lakh per acre.

In addition, the Cabinet has granted in-principle approval for two major infrastructure projects in Bengaluru: a 250-foot sky deck costing ₹500 crore and an 18.5-km underground tunnel from Hebbal to Central Silk Board Junction on Hosur Road, estimated to cost ₹12,690 crore.

HBL