JOIN USSakrama new battlefield for Governor, Govt
According to secretariat sources, the Department of Law has forwarded the letter to the Urban Development Department. There has been no further development since. The Sakrama bill, recently passed by both Houses of State legislature, proposes a one time regularisation of unauthorised constructions and layout developments.
On Monday, TV channels started flashing news that the Sakrama bill had been returned by the Governor.
“The Governor had only sought clarification on the status of the Sakrama litigation two months back. The file is still in Raj Bhavan. The bill has not been returned,” sources in the Governor’s secretariat said.
However, the “news break” did bring back focus on the issue even prompting a reaction from two ministers in the State Cabinet.
Home minister R Ashok, who headed the Cabinet sub committee on Sakrama, told reporters that only two options were left before the government - to meet the Governor and convince him to give assent to the bill or ‘move the court.’
Asked what would be the plea before the court, he said the government would decide after consulting officers of all departments concerned. He said regularisation (Sakrama) of properties would benefit poor people, who had been suffering for many years without valid documents for their properties.
Divergent views
As both the Governor and the State Government have different interpretations on the court’s ruling, the government is contemplating to move the court seeking clarification on the issue, it is said. While the Governor’s office is of the opinion that that the Karnataka High Court had stayed the bill, the government argues otherwise.
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Kumar said the court had only stayed the process of regularising of properties. However, it did not come in the way of passing the bill. He would discuss the issue with officers of the Urban Development Department, Bangalore South minsiter in-chrege Ashok and the Chief Minister.