Bengaluru: Days after the Karnataka chief minister indicated a relook at the 5% park land bill, the state cabinet Thursday decided to withdraw the controversial move following citizen backlash over its provision. This marks the first major policy reset since DK Shivakumar took office four months ago.
Deputy chief minister G Parameshwara announced the decision to recall the bill after the cabinet meeting.
He said the govt would reintroduce the bill in the next legislative session after “modifying” it based on suggestions from the public and other stakeholders. “The bill will return in a different form,” he said. He made it clear the proposal is not being abandoned permanently.
The Karnataka Government Parks (Preservation) (Amendment) Bill, 2026, passed by both houses of the legislature in late August, authorised the horticulture department to sell, lease, gift, exchange or mortgage park land in favour of any govt department, statutory authority, govt company or local authority. Such land could account for up to 5% of a park’s total area and be used for public purposes. Sources in Congress claimed a few Bengaluru legislators and leaders had petitioned party leader Rahul Gandhi over the backlash due to the bill.
This, they said, may have prompted the govt to withdraw the bill without losing much time.
However, he said they later used the issue for political purposes and spread “false information” among the public. The deputy CM said that the govt had not sent the bill to the governor for his approval, adding that the govt has the provision to withdraw a bill passed by the legislature. “We need to inform the governor, and we will do so,” he said.
Parameshwara alleged that opposition parties did not participate in the discussion when Houses took up the bill.