JOIN USGovt to levy rent for laying optical fibre cables in cities
The State cabinet on Tuesday gave its nod to a proposal to impose ground rent on optical fibre cable (OFC) companies for laying cables in all city corporation limits, including the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).
The Cabinet decided to bring in an amendment to the Karnataka Municipal Corporation (KMC) Act, making a provision to impose the rent. The government is likely to promulgate an ordinance to give effect to it.
Sources said the Urban Development department will later fix the rent, which will be different for each locality in a corporation, depending on the development of the area. The rate will also vary from one corporation to the other.
The Cabinet is also learnt to have given its approval to implement a pension scheme for Bangalore Dairy employees, increasing sugarcane procurement area to Nirani Sugars and take up a four-lane road project to Nelamangala from Bangalore at a cost of Rs 15 crore.
Several proposals for granting prime lands in Bangalore, Belgaum and Bidar on lease to private institutions were placed before the State cabinet, which met late Tuesday evening.
Prominent among the proposals was that of handing over a civic amenity site/play ground at Rajajinagar 2nd block to KLE Society for maintenance. About two acres at Kuvempunagar meant for Hindalga scheme of Belgaum Mahanagara Palike in Belgaum has been proposed to be given to KLE Society on lease for educational purposes.
However, it is not clear whether the cabinet approved these proposals. For, the government refused to brief the media about the proceedings of the cabinet meeting. Normally, a minister briefs the media on the decisions taken.