Park Bill: Move aimed at facilitating takeover of Lalbagh land for Tunnel Road, say environmentalists, city BJP MPs
The Karnataka Cabinet on Friday cleared a Bill to amend the Karnataka Government Parks (Preservation) Act, 1975, to allow 5% of parks and garden lands to be alienated for public purposes
Karnataka's government has passed a bill amending the Parks Preservation Act, allowing 5% of parks and gardens to be developed for public use. Environmentalists and city BJP MPs have criticized this move, alleging it's aimed at facilitating the construction of the 17.1-kilometer Bengaluru North-South Tunnel Road. The amendment could potentially enable the tunnel project, which begins at Hebbal and ends at Central Silk Board Junction.
Dattatreya T. Devare, an environmental activist, stated that the law amendment is meant to counter objections raised in public interest litigations challenging the tunnel project. The BJP's L.S. Tejasvi Surya, a Bengaluru South MP, confirmed that the tunnel project would require approximately 1.92 hectares (5 acres) of Lalbagh land.
P.C. Mohan, a Bengaluru Central BJP MP, warned that this bill is a "dangerous assault on Bengaluru’s green spaces" and vowed the BJP would oppose it.
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