The Chief Minister's Office of Karnataka announced on Saturday, 27 June 2026 that the state government has inaugurated a new 10-lane road named after former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna and unveiled plans for a 'Wall of Gratitude' to permanently honour landowners who give up land without dispute for public projects. The announcement was made by Chief Minister D.K. Siddaramaiah at the 517th Kempegowda Jayanti celebrations held in Kempegowda Layout, Bengaluru, organised by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA).

Context

Speaking at the Jayanti event, CM Siddaramaiah said the government has decided to include on a 'Wall of Gratitude' (Krutajnata Phalaka) the names of landowners who voluntarily give up land — without objection — for public projects such as industrial zones, schools, lakes, and roads. 'The sacrifice of landowners will be remembered through this,' he stated. The 10-lane road inaugurated today stretches 11 km and is planned for extension to 123 km, along which the Wall of Gratitude panels will be built.

Paying tribute to the late S.M. Krishna, the Chief Minister said, 'A life without ideals is an insult to life; a death without achievement is an insult to death.' He credited Krishna with building Arkavathi Layout, Kempegowda Layout, Shivarama Karantha Layout, and the Vikas Soudha during his tenure as Chief Minister from 1999 to 2004.

Policy Backdrop

Karnataka governments have historically paired land acquisition for roads and urban layouts with symbolic gestures to reduce resistance from affected landowners. The Wall of Gratitude initiative formalises this approach by offering permanent, public recognition as an incentive for voluntary, dispute-free land transfer. The BDA has also planted 15 lakh saplings today as part of a 'Green Bengaluru' drive invoking the vision of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, the 16th-century founder of Bengaluru.

The Chief Minister recalled that Balagangadharanatha Swamiji had pledged to plant 5 crore saplings during S.M. Krishna's chief ministership, framing today's plantation drive as a continuation of that legacy. He called for every school in Bengaluru to adopt a neighbourhood and involve students in planting and nurturing saplings, with competitions to be organised by the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA).

Stakeholders and Impact

The initiative directly benefits Bengaluru residents who stand to gain faster delivery of public infrastructure with less litigation-related delay. Landowners whose properties are acquired for the 123-km road corridor will have their names permanently inscribed on the Wall of Gratitude panels along the route. The Chief Minister offered 'prostrate salutations' (sashtanga namana) to all those who gave up land for the 10-lane road.

On the institutional front, the government has decided to establish a Kempegowda Study Centre at Bangalore University. Senior Congress leader K.H. Muniyappa has donated 9.5 acres from his constituency for the centre. Separately, a Rs 10 crore development programme has been announced for Hutridurga. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Parameshwara was also mentioned as moving ahead with a township project in Tumakuru.

What's Next

The BDA is expected to begin the physical rollout of the 123-km road corridor and construct Wall of Gratitude panels along it in the coming months. The Kempegowda Study Centre on the 9.5-acre site donated by K.H. Muniyappa is also set to be formally established at Bangalore University. The GBA will organise inter-school sapling competitions to sustain the greening momentum beyond the one-day plantation drive.

If implemented at scale, the Wall of Gratitude model could reshape how Karnataka handles land acquisition for public projects across the state — replacing prolonged legal disputes with voluntary transfers anchored in civic pride and public recognition.