SOURCE :- SIASAT NEWS
Bengaluru: Members of citizen groups, resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) and walkers from different parts of Bengaluru walked through the Lalbagh botanical garden here on Sunday, August 30, against allowing portions of park and garden land in the state to be used for public infrastructure and utility projects.
The walk, titled “Walk in Lalbagh. Walk for Lalbagh,” was joined by Yellappa Reddy, Chief Advisor, Lalbagh and Cubbon Park Expert Committee, Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje, BJP MPs Tejasvi Surya, C N Manjunath, P C Mohan, party legislators, among others.
Citizens from all age groups and walks of life, and members of several pro-Kannada organisations also joined.
The walk was organised to raise awareness against the Karnataka Government Parks (Preservation) (Amendment) Bill, 2026, passed by both houses of the state legislature, which amends the 1975 Act governing prominent Bengaluru green spaces, including Cubbon Park and Lalbagh.
Bill passed without discussion
The Bill passed the legislature last week without discussion, amid opposition protests in both the Legislative Assembly and Council demanding the resignation of Minister B Nagendra.
Opposition BJP and JD(S) opposed the Bill and even petitioned the Governor requesting him not to give his assent.
Six acres of Lalbagh required for tunnel project
The amendment is significant in the context of the proposed 17-km tunnel road project connecting Hebbal and Central Silk Board. The project requires around six acres of Lalbagh land temporarily and one acre permanently, according to sources.
Lalbagh is home to the approximately three-billion-year-old ‘Peninsular Gneiss’ (huge ancient rock) and is an important ecological and geological heritage site, citizens highlighted during the walk, as they demanded that it should not be used for “real estate”.
The bill explicitly permits the state government to alienate park land by way of sale, lease, gift, exchange, mortgage, or otherwise, up to an absolute limit of five per cent of the total area. This applies strictly in favour of government departments, statutory authorities, government companies, or local authorities for public utility projects.
It provides for establishing an authoritative evaluation mechanism headed by the Additional Chief Secretary to the government, alongside designated officers and domain professionals, ensuring that any proposed land utilisation is thoroughly evaluated before any recommendation is made to the state government.
Tejasvi Surya vows continued agitation
Citizens including Surya, Karandlaje, and Mohan later lay down and hugged the iconic rock at Lalbagh as a symbolic protest against the proposed Hebbal-Silk Board tunnel road project, expressing apprehension that the project could damage the geological formation.
Speaking to reporters, Surya warned that if the government doesn’t withdraw its move to take over 5 per cent of the park land, agitations will be organised in every park every week. “We will organise a public movement; this is just the beginning”.
“People who have gathered here are not from any party, they are common citizens of Bengaluru. If protecting Lalbagh and our parks is a crime and if you think that this is something that warrants a notice, we will commit this crime every day. Our fight to protect our parks and environment will continue the same way,” he said, amid reports that authorities have served notice against the march at Lalbagh.
Stating that similar protests are taking place in Mysuru and other places, he said, similar protests will be held in every park and gardens of the state in the days ahead.
“The government that has the responsibility of protecting our environment is indulging in the act of acquiring parks for the sake of real estate.
Society cannot accept it. We want to tell the chief minister that the tunnel road project won’t bring a good name to your government,” he added.
Urging the government to drop the tunnel road project, the Bengaluru South MP further said to create public infrastructure, increase public transport like — metro, suburban rail projects.
DK Shivakumar leading real estate govt: Karandlaje
Karandlaje hit out at the D K Shivakumar-led administration, calling it “real estate government.”
“Bengaluru needs lung space, the city needs parks, and we need more compared to our population. We are not opposed to development, but use other land for the projects; don’t eye parks and lake areas for it. We have requested the Governor to return the Bill; if the need be, we will also go to the President opposing the Bill,” she added.
The Bill mandates that the five per cent spatial ceiling is strictly inclusive of any and all lands previously alienated, thereby safeguarding the remaining natural ecosystem. It further clarifies that standard developments by the Horticulture Department for its own administrative and allied use fall entirely outside this restriction.
It provides a specialised legal pathway for utilising minimal areas within Horticulture Farms for implementing core Horticulture Projects.
“This includes post-processing facilities, cold storage units, production of improved varieties, and agro-based industries directly beneficial to the local farming community, backed by recorded reasons demonstrating public interest and absolute necessity,” the Bill added.
SOURCE : SIASAT
