HC constitutes panel for lake preservation

The panel has been directed to submit its report by January 31, 2011.

The commissioners of Bangalore Development Authority and Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, secretaries of Lake Development Authority and Karnataka Slum Clearance Board and chief engineer of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board are the other members of the committee.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and A S Bopanna constituted the committee while hearing a batch of public interest litigations seeking directions to the government for preservation and restoration of lakes in and around Bangalore.

The committee has been told to conduct its first meeting on December 4 at the premises of the High Court or at the convenience of the Chairman of the committee.
 
The petitioners stated that the state government has not implemented the report of Laxman Rao Committee on developing lakes in the city.

Many builders and private parties have encroached the catchment areas of the lakes, they contended. The matter was adjourned to February 4.

Skywalk to City Civil Court

The High Court has directed the state government to file objections within two weeks to a petition seeking a skywalk or underpass to connect the City Civil Court with the Mysore Bank Junction.

City-based Advocate K N Subba Reddy in his petition had stated that the advocates and litigants were finding it difficult to reach the courts due to traffic.

He sought either a skywalk or a underpass connecting Hudson Circle-Deputy Commissioner’s office and State Bank of Mysore.

The Division Bench also ordered a notice to the State Home Secretary.

Aerospace project

The High Court has directed the State government to submit the original records pertaining to land acquired for the Aerospace project at Devanahalli before December 10.

Hearing a petition filed by Riyaz Mustafa, Justice D V Shylendra Kumar directed the Advocate General to place the original records of acquisition of 1,069 acres of land in Devanahalli and Bangalore North taluk for the project before the court.

The court had sought details like factual position of the project, extent of land acquired, award passed by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB), details on land owners and number of cases filed in the court challenging that acquisition.

The court has also asked the Advocate General about how the project was mooted and who had created the project. “These things must be known to the public,” the court said.

The petitioner had challenged the acquisition of 1,069 acres of land in Dummanhalli, Singahalli, Hunasuru, Jannahalli, Khadimmanahalli and nearby villages in Bangalore North and Devanahalli taluks. The KIADB had issued the preliminary notification on January 9, 2007 and final notification on May 17, 2007.

In 2006, a high-level committee chaired by Chief Secretary decided to establish the industrial units related to aircrafts manufacturing units.

The committee had approved project Black Hawk, Shobha Aerospace Project Limited.