Bengaluru: The State government and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Thursday gave an undertaking to the High Court of Karnataka that they will not construct Indira canteens on notified parks, playgrounds and open spaces in violation of Section 8 of the Karnataka Parks, Playfields and Open Spaces (Preservation and Regulation) Act, 1985.

They also assured the court that no canteen would be constructed on storm-water drains (SWD), except in the exempted areas of the buffer zones of the SWD in the city.

However, both the State government and the BBMP told the court that the open spaces earmarked for ‘public utilities’ would be utilised for construction of canteens for which no permission is required under the Act whereas permission from the executive authority is required for using parks, playfields and open spaces, which are notified under Section 4 of the Act, for certain purposes.

The undertaking was given before a Division Bench comprising Justice Jayant M. Patel and Justice S. Sujatha during an urgent hearing on a public interest litigation petition filed by S. Venkata Rathnaiah.

The petitioner had complained that parks, playgrounds and open spaces are being used by the BBMP for construction of Indira canteens.