Bill to reduce open spaces violates citizens' rights: Guv

Governor Vajubhai Vala has cited violation of right of citizens while returning a Bill, which proposed to reduce open spaces in urban areas, to the state legislature.

The Bill along with the remarks of the governor was placed before the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday by Assembly secretary S Murthy.

Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the legislature requires that the reasons cited by the governor for returning a Bill should be made known to the legislators. The Bill was returned in October, 2016.

Vala in his remarks has stated that reduction in area reserved for public parks, playgrounds and civic amenities affects the “essential basic rights of citizens”.

“Such reductions may lead to various problems such as air pollution, traffic congestion and the proposed amendment is not in the interest of society at large,” Vala has stated in his message to the legislature while seeking reconsideration of the Bill.

The state Cabinet recently decided that the Bill will be passed again in the legislature and sent to the Raj Bhavan.

Both the Houses of legislature had passed the Karnataka Urban Development Authorities (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in July last. The Bill seeks to reduce the area to be reserved for public parks and playgrounds in layouts from the present 15% of the total area to 10%. It also seeks to reduce the area to be reserved for civic amenities from the present 10% of the total area to 5%.