Karnataka Assembly Passes 8 Bills in an Hour, Including Park Land Amendment

Despite protests from opposition parties, the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Monday (August 24, 2026) passed eight Bills within an hour without any debate. The BJP and JD(S) members had stormed the well of the House demanding the resignation of Minister B. Nagendra, who has been chargesheeted in the alleged embezzlement of funds from the Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation. The bills were cleared amid the uproar, with the House functioning for a brief period.

The most significant among the legislations was the Karnataka Government Parks (Preservation) (Amendment) Bill, 2026. It proposes to allow up to 5% of park land to be used for public utility projects through sale, lease, gift, exchange or mortgage. Government departments, statutory authorities, government companies and local bodies can benefit from this provision. The amendment is intended to facilitate infrastructure projects, including the proposed 17.1-km Bengaluru North-South Twin Tunnel Road connecting Hebbal with Central Silk Board Junction. If enacted, the law could allow up to 5% of Lalbagh Botanical Garden to be used for such projects.

The Bill provides for an evaluation mechanism to assess any proposal to use park land. A committee headed by the Additional Chief Secretary, along with designated officers and domain experts, will examine the proposals and make recommendations to the government. The amendment states that the 5% ceiling will include land that has been previously alienated. Routine development work undertaken by the Horticulture Department for its own administrative and allied purposes is not covered by this restriction.

Further, the amendment allows small portions of horticulture farms to be used for projects such as post-processing facilities, cold-storage units, production of improved crop varieties and agro-based industries benefiting local farmers. Such usage will require recorded reasons establishing public interest and necessity.

The Bill also cites earlier instances of park land being given for infrastructure projects. It mentions that 1,223 sq metres of the Indira Gandhi Musical Fountain Park was given to the erstwhile BBMP for road widening. It also cites the transfer of 1,135 sq metres of Lalbagh Gardens, along with a portion of its western compound wall, to the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited for an elevated Metro station on R.V. Road. The Bill notes that portions of Cubbon Park have also been used for Metro and other public infrastructure projects.

The opposition strongly criticised the amendment. During the passage, BJP and JD(S) members raised slogans such as “carpet for Adani and biscuit for Bengaluru public”, accusing the government of favouring Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani in connection with the twin tunnel project. Mr. Adani met Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar at his residence in Sadashivanagar on August 23, though the details of their discussion have not been publicly disclosed.

The demand for Minister Nagendra’s resignation stems from the chargesheet in the Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation case. The corporation is tasked with the welfare and development of Scheduled Tribes in Karnataka. The Opposition argued that no legislative business should be conducted until the Minister steps down. However, the government proceeded with the listed business, and the bills were passed.

Earlier in the day, BJP members gathered at Freedom Park in Bengaluru and later marched towards Vidhana Soudha to lay siege, renewing their demand. The absence of debate on these bills, especially the park land amendment, is being viewed as a departure from normal legislative practice, where each Bill is scrutinised clause by clause. The long-term implications of the amendment, particularly for green spaces in Bengaluru, have not been fully discussed in the legislature.