Lalbagh Land Row Forces Karnataka To Withdraw Controversial Parks Bill
Bengaluru: The Karnataka cabinet, which met on Thursday has decided to withdraw the controversial Karnataka Parks (Preservation) Amendments Bill 20126, which it had passed recently concluded monsoon session that ended a fortnight ago. The bill, that was passed without a debate since the opposition BJP was on protest, allows the government to use 5% of the park and public Gardner land for other…
On Thursday, the Karnataka cabinet decided to withdraw the Karnataka Parks (Preservation) Amendments Bill 2016, following the recent monsoon session. The bill, which passed without debate due to opposition BJP's protest, allowed the government to use 5% of park and public garden land for other development activities. The sudden passage of the bill caught many off guard, as it was not on the original agenda.
The bill's proposal to utilize land in the historical Lalbagh for the ambitious tunnel road project sparked outrage among the public, leading to a protest on August 30 at Lalbagh. The protest was spearheaded by Bengaluru South MP Tejaswi Surya and other prominent city figures who hugged the iconic Lalbagh rock to express their disapproval.
Realizing the potential legal complications and negative public reaction, the government withdrew the bill and submitted it for the Governor's consent. The controversial 16.5 km tunnel road project, aimed at alleviating vehicular congestion, is facing significant opposition due to its high estimated cost of over ₹17,500 crore and a proposed user fee of over ₹650 per drive.
The contract for the project has been awarded to the Adani group, with the Detailed Project Report revealing that approximately six acres of Lalbagh will be taken for the construction of a bus stand and commercial complex. The sudden withdrawal of the bill highlights the intense backlash from the public and opposition parties against the government's proposed development plans.
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