Govt to provide quarters to HC judges by Sept

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Minister for Public Works Department, C M Udasi said that at least 11 out of the 15 quarters being constructed at the Veterinary College premises near Hebbal would be handed over to the judges by September this year.
He said the construction work was going on in full swing and the government would stick to the deadline.

Udasi said the quarters were being constructed at a cost of Rs 56 crore on the plot where the building of the erstwhile Karnataka Agro Industries Corporation was located.  
Earlier, on March 28, 2011, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, who visited the construction site along with the Chief Justice had stated that the houses would be handed over by March 2012.

Originally, the quarters were meant for Cabinet ministers. But the government decided to hand them over to the judges, after Chief Justice J S Khehar criticised the government for its negligence towards the judiciary, which had been seeking houses for the judges for several years.

The State government had planned to construct the houses at the UAS premises in Bangalore. Since the judiciary did not agree to the location, the State government suggested two other sites - Dairy Science college in Hebbal Veterinary College premises and another patch of land behind the Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals. A team of judges, which visited the spots, agreed immediately.

However following several objections, the State government, which had begun construction of quarters for Ministers, decided to hand them over to judges.

Each quarters with a built up area of 1,172 sq mt is constructed on a area of over 2,000 sq mt and will have a foyer, living room, formal dining hall, kitchen, breakfast counter, guest bedroom, home office and garage for two vehicles on the ground floor.

On the first floor, there will be a master bedroom, children’s bedroom, an additional bedroom, family lounge and sit-out area. Besides, there will be a separate two-storey home office attached to each of the quarters. Each of the quarters will have a main building, home office (both two-storey) and security.