The High Court on Wednesday formed a committee headed by additional Chief Secretary V Umesh to monitor the committees constituted to clear the encroachment at Thippagondanahalli Reservoir (TGR) catchment area.
Hearing a batch of petition by A G Siddappa, resident of Adakamaranahalli alleging discrimination by BDA while clearing encroachments, Justice A N Venugopala Gowda constituted a committee stating that the monitoring committee is necessary considering the view of petitioners that there was a discrimination and selective approach in giving effect to the notification dated November 18, 2003, issued by Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB).
Accordingly, as per the list furnished by Additional Advocate General (AAG) S Kantharaja, the Court constituted a committee, headed by V Umesh, Additional Chief Secretary and S B Honnur, Additional Director, Town and Country Planning, BMRDA.
The other members include M N Vidayashankar, Additional Chief Secretary, Commerce and Industries Department,
T M Vijaybhaskar, Principal Secretary, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, P N Sreenivasachar, Principal Secretary, Urban Development Department, Basavaraj, Principal Secretary, Revenue Department and Ramachandra, Secretary, Ecology and Environment.
The Court said the committees constituted earlier as per the directions of the Court will function under the supervision of the monitoring committee. “The committees constituted earlier should extend co-operation without any excuse. If any committee member disobeys the court orders, such authority will be separated by this court,” the Court observed in its order.
The monitoring committee has been directed to meet once in two weeks and update about the progress of the committee’s work and submit a report to the Court by January 10, 2014.
Two committees were constituted earlier in 2003 - one by the KSPCB to clear encroachment and prevent flow of effluent in the TG Halli reservoir and the second one was constituted by Principal Secretary, Urban Development Department in 2011 to implement 2003 order.