Shobha Karandlaje Petitions Governor to Block Karnataka Park Bill

Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje submitted a petition to Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot requesting that he withhold assent to the Karnataka Government Parks (Preservation) (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The legislation passed through the state legislature on August 24 without discussion.

The bill allows the Government of Karnataka to alienate up to five percent of park or garden land for public infrastructure and utility projects through sale, lease, gift, exchange, or mortgage. Karandlaje characterized the legislation as "regressive and draconian," arguing that it dilutes statutory protections for public green spaces and creates a dangerous precedent for commercial exploitation by real-estate interests.

Karandlaje asserted that the state government must act as a custodian and trustee of public parks rather than a commercial proprietor. She argued that monetary compensation cannot restore a park once it has been fragmented, concretized, or permanently diverted.