Bengaluru: Citizen groups, Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) and walkers from different parts of Bengaluru on Sunday walked through the Lalbagh botanical garden here, against allowing portions of park and garden land in the state to be used for public infrastructure and utility projects.
The walk, titled “Walk in Lalbagh. Walk for Lalbagh” was joined by Yellappa Reddy, Chief Advisor, Lalbagh and Cubbon Park Expert Committee, Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje, BJP MPs Tejasvi Surya, C N Manjunath, among others.
Citizens from all age groups and walks of life, and several pro-Kannada organisations too joined.
The walk was organised to raise awareness against the Karnataka Government Parks (Preservation) (Amendment) Bill, 2026, passed by both houses of the state legislature, amending the 1975 Act, which governs prominent Bengaluru green spaces, including Cubbon Park and Lalbagh.
The Bill was passed by the legislature last week without any discussion, amid opposition protests in both the Legislative Assembly and Council demanding the resignation of Minister B Nagendra.
Opposition BJP and JD(S) have opposed the Bill, and have even petitioned the Governor requesting him not to give his assent.
The amendment is significant in the context of the proposed 17-km tunnel road project connecting Hebbal and Central Silk Board. The project requires around six acres of Lalbagh land temporarily and one acre permanently, according to sources.
Lalbagh is home to the approximately three-billion-year-old ‘Peninsular Gneiss’ (huge ancient rock) and is an important ecological and geological heritage site, citizens highlighted during the walk, as they demanded that it should not be used for “real estate”.
The bill explicitly permits the state government to alienate park land by way of sale, lease, gift, exchange, mortgage, or otherwise, up to an absolute limit of five per cent of the total area. This applies strictly in favour of government departments, statutory authorities, government companies, or local authorities for public utility projects.
It provides for establishing an authoritative evaluation mechanism headed by the Additional Chief Secretary to the government, alongside designated officers and expert domain professionals, ensuring that any proposed land utilisation is thoroughly evaluated before any recommendation is made to the state government.
The Bill mandates that the five per cent spatial ceiling is strictly inclusive of any and all lands previously alienated, thereby safeguarding the remaining natural ecosystem. It further clarifies that standard developments by the Horticulture Department for its own administrative and allied use fall entirely outside this restriction.
It provides a specialised legal pathway for utilising minimal areas within Horticulture Farms for implementing core Horticulture Projects.
“This includes post-processing facilities, cold storage units, production of improved varieties, and agro-based industries directly beneficial to the local farming community, backed by recorded reasons demonstrating public interest and absolute necessity,” the Bill added.