Karnataka Launches Global Investment Department and Temporarily Withdraws Controversial Parks Bill

In a series of major governance decisions, the Karnataka Cabinet approved the establishment of a dedicated Global Investment and Overseas Affairs Department on September 3, 2026. As announced by Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara during an official press briefing reported by The Hindu and The News Mill, the new administrative department will serve as a single-window portal for Non-Resident Kannadigas (NRIs), diplomatic missions, foreign delegations, and international investors dealing directly with the state government. Along with the administrative setup, the cabinet approved the issuance of specialized NRI-K identification cards for overseas Kannadigas. To streamline high-level decision-making, a State Facilitation Council will be formed under the chairmanship of Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, with Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara serving as Vice-Chairman alongside key departmental ministers.

The cabinet officially resolved to temporarily withdraw the Karnataka Government Parks (Preservation) (Amendment) Bill, which had been passed by the State Legislature on August 24, 2026. Per reporting from The South First and The News Mill, the amendment sought to permit up to 5 percent of protected government parkland—specifically impacting prominent ecological landmarks such as Lalbagh and Cubbon Park—to be utilized for public utility infrastructure. The legislation faced immediate, widespread resistance from citizen groups, environmental activists, and political opposition parties who expressed concerns that the provision was designed to bypass legal obstacles for Bengaluru's proposed underground tunnel road project connecting Hebbal to the Central Silk Board. Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar posted on social media that the decision to withdraw reflected public sentiment, confirming the bill would undergo public consultation before being re-introduced in the next legislative assembly session.

Addressing urban transport and environmental targets, Deputy Chief Minister Parameshwara announced cabinet approval for the acquisition of approximately 4,500 to 4,600 electric buses for Bengaluru under the Central Government's PM E-DRIVE scheme. As detailed in reports from The News Mill and The South First, the procurement contract involves six selected corporate vendors, with individual buses valued between ₹1.2 crore and ₹1.5 crore. Under the agreed operational framework, the Union Government will cover procurement costs while the Karnataka State Government retains full legal ownership of the vehicle fleet. Private contracted firms will handle day-to-day operations, vehicular maintenance, and driver management under state route allocation guidelines.

The Cabinet additionally granted in-principle approval for Karnataka's participation in the Ministry of Civil Aviation's modified Regional Connectivity Scheme (UDAN). According to statements recorded by The News Mill, the state will execute a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of India and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to restore commercial flight operations and subsidies to Tier-2 and Tier-3 regional airports, including Kalaburagi. Furthermore, the cabinet cleared a ₹249 crore master plan to upgrade Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) along the lines of an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). The decision followed a successful legal ruling that required the Finance Department to return approximately ₹600 crore in institutional funds that had previously been reallocated to central treasury accounts.

Following the cabinet directives, state administrative secretariats will immediately begin drafting operational rules for the Global Investment and Overseas Affairs Department and start rolling out the NRI-K card distribution mechanism. Concurrently, the Department of Parks and Horticulture will publish the draft Parks Preservation Amendment in the public domain to collect feedback from civic and environmental stakeholders prior to the upcoming assembly session. Fleet deployment schedules for the first batch of 4,500 electric buses will be coordinated with municipal transport authorities over the coming months.