Premium FAR row: SC puts brakes on Karnataka’s bid to regularise illegal buildings

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Sep 23, 2026: Citizens’ groups have welcomed the Supreme Court’s direction that Karnataka’s Premium Floor Area Ratio (FAR) scheme cannot be used to regularise unauthorised constructions, saying the development comes amid concerns over Bengaluru’s increasing construction density and existing infrastructure constraints.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court issued notice to the Karnataka government on a special leave petition challenging the Karnataka High Court’s June 2026 judgment that upheld the Premium FAR scheme. The court directed that Premium FAR should not be used to regularise unauthorised constructions and said any clearances granted under the scheme in the meantime would remain subject to the final outcome of the case.

The Citizens’ Action Forum (CAF), one of the petitioners, welcomed the development, saying the direction would, for the time being, prevent approvals aimed at regularising unauthorised constructions through Premium FAR.

CAF member Nitin Seshadri alleged that the Premium FAR policy could undermine provisions of the master plan and facilitate regularisation of unauthorised construction.

CN Kumar, a Jayanagar resident and petitioner, alleged that the government was attempting to revive the Akrama-Sakrama approach through another route. He also pointed to provisions under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) framework concerning the regularisation of unauthorised buildings.

The Supreme Court has not stayed the Karnataka High Court judgment at this stage. Instead, it has sought the state government’s counter-affidavit within four weeks and clarified that Premium FAR clearances granted during the proceedings will remain subject to its final decision.

The Karnataka High Court had upheld the validity of the Premium FAR scheme in June 2026 after examining challenges to provisions including Section 18-B of the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act.