Cabinet Clears Anti-Hate Law, Tunnel Road, Minority School Buildings and Welfare Projects
Major push for social harmony, traffic relief, education infrastructure and agriculture


The state Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, on Wednesday approved several key decisions related to development, social harmony and essential infrastructure. The meeting cleared a series of public-interest measures, including a stringent draft law against hate speech and hate crimes.

Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Tourism Minister H.K. Patil said that, under a major decision in the minority welfare sector, the Cabinet approved the construction of new dedicated buildings for 19 Morarji Desai Minority Residential Schools at an estimated cost of ₹304 crore. The move is seen as a significant step towards improving educational facilities and providing better residential infrastructure for minority students.

The Cabinet also approved the Karnataka Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill, 2025, paving the way for strict action against those spreading hatred through religious, social and social media platforms. The government said the objective of the proposed law is to strengthen communal harmony and peace in the state.

To ease Bengaluru’s growing traffic congestion, the Cabinet cleared the construction of a three-lane, double tunnel road from Hebbal Junction to Mekhri Circle under the cut-and-cover model. The project, estimated to cost ₹2,215 crore, will also include an elevated corridor with ramps. The government said the project would provide significant relief to city traffic.

Patil further said that the Cabinet approved a ₹452-crore project proposed by the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences for setting up advanced skill laboratories in Kalaburagi, Gadag, Davanagere, Mysuru, Bengaluru and other cities.

Among other key decisions, the Cabinet approved:

  • Establishment of 334 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs across the state under the PM Abhim scheme at a cost of ₹217 crore.

  • Allocation of ₹28.69 crore for a critical care block in Koppal, Yelburga and surrounding areas.

  • Approval of the Karnataka Inland Vessel Rules, 2025 for inland rivers and waterways.

  • Preparation of a detailed project report (DPR) to upgrade 800 government schools into the Karnataka Public Schools (KPS) model.

Expressing serious concern over the hardships faced by maize farmers, the Cabinet directed officials to take immediate steps to ensure the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of ₹2,400 per quintal. The Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) has been instructed to procure 50,000 metric tonnes of maize.

The Cabinet also approved ₹485 crore for the Chudachchan Irrigation Project and ₹67 crore for Phase-2 of the Hemavathi river lift irrigation scheme. Drinking water projects for Kunigal and Bhaktarahalli, costing between ₹34 crore and ₹73 crore, were also cleared.

In addition, the Cabinet approved the allotment of urban plots to the Congress Bhavan Trust at 5% of market value and sanctioned three acres of land for the Bengaluru Institute of Nephro-Urology.