The Karnataka Cabinet has approved the Karnataka Regulation of Use of Government Premises and Public Property Bill, 2026, Home Minister Priyank Kharge said after a cabinet meeting. The bill, Kharge said, seeks to create a legal framework governing how government premises and public property may be used by private individuals, organisations, associations and societies.
“The Bill provides a legal framework to safeguard, preserve, and ensure the responsible utilisation of Government lands, buildings, playgrounds, parks, roads, and other public assets, preventing misuse while protecting them for public benefit and good,” Kharge stated, saying the legislation is intended to ensure accountability and prevent unauthorised use of public assets.
According to officials, the bill sets out clear guidelines and procedures for granting permission to use government properties for events, meetings or other activities. It also includes provisions for penalties in cases of misuse or damage to public property. The government plans to table the bill in the upcoming session of the legislature for discussion and passage.
Responding to speculation that the measure targets the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Kharge denied that any single institution was in the government’s sights. “Why is everyone thinking this is to curtail or curb any particular institution, association, organisation, society, club, union, syndicate or NGO? Beats me,” the minister said.
The announcement comes against a backdrop of Kharge’s public stance on the RSS since 2025; he has opposed the use of public property and government premises by the organisation and has urged it to register formally. In June 2026 Kharge wrote an open letter to the RSS seeking clarity on its legal status, financial transparency and constitutional accountability as the organisation marked 100 years of existence.
Kharge noted the RSS’s claimed reach — more than 60,000 shakhas and “crores of swayamsevaks” in India and abroad — to argue that groups with significant public presence should meet what he called the “highest standards of transparency, accountability and constitutional compliance.” The bill, if passed, would formalise permissions and penalties intended to protect public assets and regulate their use.
Original Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/karnataka-cabinet-approves-public-property-bill-amid-rss-registration-row-11907674#publisher=newsstand
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Publish Date: 2026-08-14 06:06:00
