JOIN USThe High Court on Thursday ordered that a notice be issued to G Shivaprasad, elder brother of Home Minister G Parameshwara, on a petition that seeks its direction to restrain him from constructing a medical college and hospital in zone-III of the Thippagondanhalli (TG Halli) reservoir’s catchment area where only agricultural activity is permitted.
The petitioner N Rajanna, a journalist from Nelamangala in Bengaluru Rural district, has contended that he is aggrieved by the high-handed action of Shivaprasad in constructing a large building complex without obtaining the plan sanction from the planning authority, without getting the land converted for commercial use and also without obtaining the consent of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB).
The petitioner is aggrieved by the inaction by the revenue, forest departments, the Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA), the KSPCB, the Nelamangala Planning Authority and other agencies, despite the catchment area being notified. He said that the Deputy Commissioner, Bengaluru Rural, had not taken action against the closure of the ‘cart track’ used by the public.
The petition states that the government notification dated November 19, 2003, issued under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, declares the TG Halli reservoir and catchment area a protected and sensitive zone.
Despite bringing to the notice of the authorities concerned the illegal construction by Shivaprasad and the Siddhartha Institute of Medical Science and Research Centre, the authorities have failed to take any action to stop the construction, it says.
The petitioner has sought directions to remove all construction of the building as work is progressing. He has sought directions to remove the obstruction of the ancient cart track between Thippagondanahalli and Thyamagondlu villages. A division bench of acting Chief Justice S K Mukherjee and Justice B V Nagarathna also ordered notice to the State government and other authorities.