High Court reserves verdict on sites for STF personnel

 K Ningaraju and 25 others had filed a petition challenging the decision of the government to give the personnel a cash amount instead of housing sites as promised earlier.

Following the killing of Veerappan, the then state government had announced cash rewards, medals and sites to the 754 police personnel, who had been the part of STF team involved in operation to nab Veerappan. After this, the promise of cash and medal was honoured, but not the promise of granting site.

Only five members were finally given housing plots after they approached the High Court and the state was directed to allot land.

However, nothing was forthcoming for the other personnel. The Additional Advocate General submitted there was no provision in the rules to provide any sites and thus giving sites would amount to breaking the rules.

The Court observed that the government could grant the housing sites under the ‘G’ category provision available to the Chief Minister to use his discretionary powers in allotting sites. Justice Mohan M Shantanagoudar has reserved the judgement.

Affidavit filed

The Department of Mines and Geology has filed an affidavit in a matter related to overlapping of mining leases.

The Court wanted the details of the mining leases that had overlapped since January 2007 along with measures taken by the government to correct the errors in granting these licences.

The earlier affidavit was rejected by the High Court on the ground that it was incomplete and directed the Department to furnish a fresh affidavit incorporating all the details.