Bengaluru, Aug. 21 -- Residents of private layouts in Karnataka's cities and towns could soon get relief from poorly maintained roads and drains, with the Legislative Assembly passing amendments that empower local authorities to take over certain private roads and develop them as public roads.

The Karnataka Municipalities (Amendment) Bill, 2026, and the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (Amendment) Bill, 2026, were passed in the Assembly amid strong protests and disruptions by Opposition members. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Krishna Byre Gowda piloted the two Bills.

The amendments seek to address a long-standing problem in private layouts where roads and drainage systems have deteriorated due to lack of maintenance, leaving residents d...