5 days ago
Bills related to abolition of child marriages, regulation of private ambulance, gig workers' welfare to be tabled in Monsoon Session
The Karnataka Cabinet on Thursday approved the Karnataka Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2025, to criminalise the engagement of a child (betrothal), which was not punishable earlier.
The Bill envisages stringent action against those involved in a child's betrothal and marriage. Under the law, all legislators, leaders, and elders involved in a child's engagement and marriage would be punished, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil told reporters after the Cabinet meeting on Thursday.
Among other decisions, it was decided that the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Bill, 2025, would be brought in to regulate private ambulance service providers.
The Bill will be tabled in the Monsoon Session of the legislature. The Bill also envisages registration of mobile health clinics run by private medical institutions.
Gig workers' Bill
The Karnataka Platform Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Bill, 2025, will also tabled during the session. It would replace an Ordinance promulgated to create a welfare fund for platform-based gig workers and place obligations on aggregators.
The government had taken the Ordinance route to implement the welfare provisions. The Cabinet cleared the Bill in April, 2025, but it took the Ordinance route since the State legislature was not in session. It emphasises the rights of gig workers, proposes a welfare fee of 1% to 5% of the payout to the worker during each transaction. All such fees received would go to the welfare fund for the workers.
It is estimated that there are 2.3 lakh gig workers in Karnataka.
It was decided to upgrade the Allipura Gram Panchayat as a town panchayat in Chickballapur district. The Sulekere tank in Maddur taluk in Mandya will be developed at a cost of ₹47.75 crore, Mr. Patil said.
The Cabinet approved ₹52 crore for developing right and left bank canals of Madaga-Masur tank in Rattihalli taluk Haveri district.
A sum of ₹74 crore was approved for implementing the scheme to lift water from Nagamangala Branch Canal near Muddanahally to fill 18 tanks in Hirisave hobli of Channarayapatna Taluk for drinking water purposes.
The Cabinet approved ₹880.68 crore for the purchase of medicines and other medical requirements of public health hospitals/utilities in Karnataka.
A total of 46 prisoners serving life sentence would be prematurely released from prisons in the State. The life convicts would be released on humanitarian grounds as a goodwill conduct, Mr. Patil said.
For Sanketh Trust
The Cabinet permitted Sanketh Trust, a non-profit trust established in 1992, to pay 10% of the annual contract value for the site measuring 1350.5 square meters. The trust administers Ranga Shankara, with Arundhathi Nag as its managing trustee.
