Madhuswamy promises new vehicle scrappage policy in Karnataka

Lawmakers cutting across parties, including Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, expressed their displeasure over the government’s failure to tackle abandoned, immobile or unattended vehicles, especially in Bengaluru.

A Calling Attention Motion moved by the BJP MLA B Harshavardhan triggered an intense discussion on the issue.

Kageri directed Law Minister J C Madhuswamy to come up with a policy to tackle abandoned vehicles across the state. "Most of these vehicles belong to government departments. Government is the biggest culprit. I have seen in every nook and corner of the state, government vehicles are abandoned occupying precious parking space of that village, town or city," Kageri said.

Intervening at this juncture, Congress MLAs K J George and Sowmya Reddy said Bengaluru is facing an acute shortage of parking space and in spite of this, the government has not taken any step towards clearing abandoned vehicles.

Harshavardhan also pointed out that in the Legislators' Home parking lot, several unattended government vehicles can be seen even now. "Government must take serious note of this and find ways and means to dispose of it," he said.

Reddy observed that if the government failed to provide a solution to the parking menace, the mega cities might even witness war-like situations in the days to come.

George suggested that the state government must identify a 100-acre plot on the outskirts of Bengaluru only to park unattended vehicles so that space can be freed up and used for better purposes.

In response, Madhuswamy told the Assembly that the state government will soon come out with a policy to scrap vehicles in the state. "The transport department is entrusted to come out with this policy and I will suggest that they include these observations as well," he said.

A scrappage policy for registered vehicles was listed for the Cabinet meeting on Thursday. Apparently, it was deferred as the government wanted some changes in the policy.