JOIN USState Assembly gives nod to KCOCA Bill
The Bill - The Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes (Amendment) Bill, 2009 - also provides for a fine of Rs ten lakh for committing an act of terrorism and attachment of the accused’s property pending investigation.
The Bill, introduced by Home Minister V S Acharya, facilitates increasing the period of filing the charge sheet from six months to one year. The House passed the Bill.
Transfer policy
The Congress members in the Legislative Assembly told the government that there was no point in penalising government officials for not vacating government residential quarters, when there was no transfer policy as such.
The members made this observation when Home Minister Acharya tabled the Indian Penal Code and The Code of Criminal Procedure (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2009 in the House. The Bill provides authority for the government to take action against those government employees who overstay in the government quarters, under IPC and CrPC.
B C Patil of Congress said the government would be in a position to punish such government servants provided there was a transfer policy. Now officials were being transferred throughout the year making it difficult for them to shift their family from one place to another.
Transfers should be done before the academic year begins, he said.
Expressing a similar view, M T Krishnappa of JD-S said though the government had been denying transferring of employees, newspapers have been publishing about new postings everyday.
"When employees are transferred according to the government’s whims and fancy, how can you expect them to vacate their quarters at your will? We welcome the new legislation but it should be implemented along with a sound transfer policy,” he insisted. Acharya, while agreeing to the members' argument, said the government would give three months' notice for officials to vacate quarters. Later the Bill was passed in the House.
Essential services
The House also passed the Karnataka Essential Services Maintenance Bill, 2009. While tabling the bill, Home Minister Acharya said that it was just replacing the legislation, which was existing from 1994-2004.