Overview
- The Cabinet decided to withdraw the Karnataka Government Parks (Preservation) (Amendment) Bill on Thursday, September 3, 2026, and will inform the Governor of the move.
- The contested clause would have allowed the State, on a High‑Level Committee recommendation, to alienate or permit use of up to 5% of any government park for specified public purposes.
- Large public protests, petitions and civil‑society actions focused on Lalbagh and Cubbon Park, with opponents arguing the change was meant to fast‑track a 17‑km tunnel road that reportedly needs several acres of Lalbagh.
- Officials say the draft will be placed in the public domain for feedback and then reintroduced in a later Assembly session after clauses on lease, sale and other forms of transfer are reviewed.
- The episode revives debate over the 1975 Parks Act, which previously allowed only project‑specific park alienations, and raises ongoing questions about transparency, the tunnel project’s future, and legal protections for Bengaluru’s green spaces.