The Government of Karnataka on July 16, 2026, issued the Karnataka Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026, further to amend the Karnataka Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj Act, 1993.
The following has been amended, namely:
• The revised Section 2(33) expands the definition of "Public Street" to include roads, streets, bridges, footpaths, drains, and adjoining land maintained by Rural Local Bodies, the Government, or public authorities.
• The newly inserted Section 63A empowers the Government-authorized authority to declare eligible private streets as public streets after issuing a public notice and considering objections, particularly where poor conditions threaten public safety and health. The provision also applies to roads constructed using public funds, requires connectivity with an existing public road, and clarifies that landowners who have already benefited by selling adjoining plots based on such roads will not be entitled to compensation or Development Rights Certificates under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 or the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act, 1961.
[Karnataka Ordinance no. 1 of 2026]
