The Karnataka High Court has passed an interim order against cutting of trees or other standing crops on certain lands acquired for housing Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) and Government Medical, Dental, Nursing & Pharmacy Colleges.

The order followed the writ petitions by GH Puttathayamma and 23 other farmers of Archakarahalli, Ramnagar taluk, owning some lands notified for acquisition by the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board.
The petitioners stated that the lands were fertile agricultural lands having mangroves, coconut and arecanut trees and growing crops like paddy and ragi. The lands also fell under the achkut area of Manchenahalli dam, they said while contending that acquisition was unnecessary since about 1000 acres of Government lands were available in the vicinity.

The petitioners also alleged that some lands held by people having connection with the ministers and MLAs in the present State Government had been left out from the final notification despite they being in middle of the acquired lands. They challenged the validity of Government notification regarding the project and the preliminary acquisition notification dated Feb 27, 2007 and final notification made on June 18, 2007, for acquiring about 216 acres and 26 guntas.

Justice N Kumar granted an interim stay order restraining the authorities from cutting the trees or standing crops on the lands of the petitioners.

Reprieve for students
The Court on Friday gave a reprieve to seven diploma students of a training institute lacking AICTE recognition by permitting them to appear for the entrance examinations for lateral admissions to engineering courses, scheduled from Saturday.

A writ petition by Vinod Kumar and six other students holding diploma from Nittur Technical Training Foundation have challenged the action of Director of Technical Education in denying application forms for the entrance examinations under lateral entry scheme. The Director had held them ineligible for lateral admissions to second year engineering course, on the ground that their institution had not been approved by the AICTE.
The Court passed an interim order allowing them to take up the examination  commencing on Saturday, subject to the result of their petition.