Seeking legal opinion on denotifying highways: Centre tells High Court

The Union government on Thursday informed the High Court of Karnataka that it has forwarded the state government’s request of denotifying national highways that fall within the city limits to the Ministry of Law and Justice to seek legal opinion in the matter.

Assistant Solicitor General Prabhulinga K Navadgi, filing a memo, has also sought details from the state government about the number of roads where bypasses have been constructed and if national highway standards have been maintained.

Further, it has said that the state government, which is proposing to denotify the roads, has to maintain the roads according to national highway standards even if no bypass is constructed.

Justice Vineet Kothari was hearing a batch of petitions filed by liquor licence holders who had moved the court following the Excise department’s refusal to renew their licences following the Supreme Court order. The Apex Court, in its order on December, 2016 had prohibited the functioning of liquor outlets on highways and directed the Excise department not to renew liquor licences of outlets on highways.

The state government has proposed to denotify the roads within the city and has placed a proposal before the Union government. The judge adjourned the next hearing of the matter on August 3.

OCI medical seats case

The High Court of Karnataka on Thursday dropped contempt proceedings against Manjula V, principal secretary, Medical Education and Manjunath D, executive director, Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) after the state government informed the court that they would allow Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) students to apply for medical seats in all categories except in government seats.

OCI students had moved the court contending that KEA was not allowing them to apply for medical seats in all categories and were insisting on allotting only NRI quota seats.

The students questioned the government notification dated July 19 wherein it said that 15% of the total intake of medical colleges will be filled by students including NRIs, OCIs, PIO (Persons of Indian Origin) and foreigners. These students will not be eligible for admissions in any other category of seats.

Despite the high court directing the state government to allow OCI students to apply for medical seats in all category of seats other then NRI and government seats, the KEA failed to comply with the court orders.

A division bench comprising Justice Jayant Patel and Justice S Sujatha disposed of the petition following the state government’s submission allowing OCI students to apply in all categories other than government seats.