State decides to challenge Arkavathy verdict

Arkavathy: State to challenge HC verdict
Deccan Herald

Police protection will be extended to the layout to prevent looting of building material stored by the Bangalore Development Authority.

There is still hope for the “successful” applicants for sites in Arkavathy Layout, with the State Cabinet on Saturday deciding to challenge the verdict of the Karnataka High Court quashing the formation of the layout.

Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Information Minister B Shivaram said the Cabinet had directed Advocate-General B T Parthasarathy to file an appeal on Tuesday before the Division Bench of the Karnataka High Court challenging the order of a single-judge Bench issued on April 15.

Cabinet decision

He said the government had a strong case in its favour as per the presentation made to the Cabinet on the case by officials concerned. The Cabinet also decided to provide police protection to the layout area to prevent looting of building material stored by the Bangalore Development Authority, the minister said.

Interestingly, sources said, the Cabinet also decided to notify all the “controversial” areas within Arkavathy Layout which had either not been notified or were denotified by the previous S M Krishna government. JD(S) ministers pointed out that some prime land within the proposed layout had not been notified, leading to controversies, and that the High Court had taken notice of this.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet has decided to implement the demand of JD(S) leader H D Deve Gowda to identify encroached government land, clear it of encroachments and auction the land. Revenue Minister M P Prakash has been authorised to carry out the task.

Though Congress minister Ramalinga Reddy claimed only 3,000 acres of land in Bangalore have been encroached upon, as against the whopping figure of 45,000 acres stated by Mr Gowda, JD(S) leaders countered his argument. Some senior Congress ministers including H K Patil have stressed the need to take action against land sharks.

Deshpande flayed

The JD(S) ministers are also learnt to have taken to task Congress minister R V Deshpande, who did not attend the Cabinet meeting, for challenging the JD(S) to withdraw support to the coalition government on the land grabbing issue.

Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah pointed out that Mr Deshpande had no business to issue such statements as the arguments and counter arguments on land grabbing are going on at the party level and none of the ministers had joined the issue.

Power formula

Chief Minister N Dharam Singh reportedly observed that Mr Deshpande had erred by making such statements. Mr Singh agreed to hold discussions with Mr Siddaramaiah on Monday to decide on appointments to boards and corporations and nominations to co-operative bodies. Mr Siddaramaiah was dissatisfied with the Congress leaders for not implementing the power sharing formula based on the Maharashtra model under which the JD(S) should get 50 per cent of posts.