Opposition to amend Park Act grows as writers urge repeal, Karandlaje writes to Governor

Opposition to the Karnataka Government Parks (Preservation) Act, 1975, amendment is growing as Kannada writers and progressive thinkers urge the state government to withdraw it. Shobha Karandlaje, Minister of State for Labour and Employment and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, has written to Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot requesting he not give his assent to the Act, calling it "regressive" and "draconian legislation."

The amendment allows for the alienation of 5% of park and garden lands for public purposes, which progressive thinkers argue creates a mechanism for their alienation and utilization for purposes other than preservation. The Karnataka Government Parks (Preservation) (Amendment) Bill, 2026, has been criticized for its lack of transparency, potential misuse, and negative environmental impact.

Critics, including citizens' activists, have slammed the haste with which the bill was passed in the Assembly and expressed concern that it could lead to the diversion of park land and the destruction of biodiversity.