Karnataka High Court notice on plea against govt.’s decision to use veterinary university’s land for building additional quarters for judges

The High Court of Karnataka on Friday ordered issue of notice on a PIL petition questioning the State government’s January 8, 2026, order for transferring four acres of pristine land of the Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University to construct additional 20 quarters as an annexe for the Nyaya Grama, the existing residential quarters for judges of High Court, and another three acres to build a super-speciality hospital.

A Division Bench, comprising D.K. Singh and Justice T.M. Nadaf, passed the order on a petition filed by the Karnataka Veterinary Association, Bangalore Veterinary College Alumni Association, Senior Veterinarians Association, and Dairy Science College Alumni Association.

Cabinet decision

Pointing out that the January 8 Government Order (GO) was issued based on a Cabinet decision taken in November 2025, it was contended that the decision to divert the land was taken without consulting the stakeholders, the varsity and its constituent colleges, who had to give up the land which otherwise was vital for academic, research and extension, and other activities.

The petitioners cautioned that any further reduction in campus acreage of the varsity would jeopardise ongoing projects and lead to the “de-recognition” of the college by the Veterinary Council of India for failing to meet minimum infrastructure requirements.

Dropped in 2011

Stating that a similar proposal for diverting about 20 acres of the land of the university for quarters for the judges was dropped in 2011 after a previous legal challenge and adjacent lands belonging to the Karnataka State Seeds Corporation Ltd were utilised, the petitioners urged that the land meant for the university’s activities must be preserved for its original intended purposes and should not be diverted.

It had been stated in the GO that the land was identified for construction of quarters for judges following the resolution made in the meeting held in September 2025 between the Chief Justice of the High Court of Karnataka and the Chief Minister.

While ordering issue of notices to the State government, the university and the veterinary college, the Bench adjourned further hearing on the petition till March 25.