The Karnataka State Legislature on September 03, 2026, enacted the Karnataka Municipalities (Amendment) Act, 2026, further amending the Karnataka Municipalities Act, 1964. The Act received the Governor’s assent on September 02, 2026 and has come into force with immediate effect.
The amendment substitutes Section 177, empowering the Commissioner or Chief Officer to declare a private street as a public street where the street, including its drains, is in such poor condition that it endangers public safety or health. The process requires issuance of a public notice and notice to the concerned owners, who may submit objections within one month. Where a private street falls within more than one Municipality, the respective Commissioners/Chief Officers may act in relation to their jurisdictions. The private street must also have connectivity with a public road or public street.
The amendment further provides that where the erstwhile landowner had shown the street as a road in a registered deed and benefited from the sale/transfer of adjoining building sites, such landowner will not be entitled to compensation, including a Development Rights Certificate under Section 14-B of the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act, 1961, when the street is declared public. The amendment also defines “erstwhile land owner” and “public street”, including roads, passages, footways and attached drains over which the public has a right of way.
[Karnataka Act No. 35 of 2026]
