Bill adopted to reduce public spaces in residential layouts

The Legislative Assembly adopted the Karnataka Urban Development Authorities Bill, which among other things seeks to reduce the area reserved for parks and open spaces in residential layouts to be developed by urban development authorities.

The Bill seeks to reduce the area to be reserved for public parks and playgrounds in the layouts from the present 15 per cent of the total area to 10 per cent. It also seeks to reduce the area to be reserved for civic amenities from 10 per cent to 5 per cent.

The Bill was adopted without discussion. The Bill also provides for inclusion of legislators of the jurisdictional area, a representative each of Escom from the area and the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, Chief Executive Officer of zilla panchayat, and Deputy Registrar of the cooperative societies as members of the urban development authority.