Plea on security posts in park adjourned

Plea on security posts in park adjourned

The Hindu

BANGALORE: The Karnataka High Court on Friday adjourned the hearing of an interlocutary application (IA) by the State Government seeking its permission to construct reception counters within the Cubbon Park area to regulate entry of employees and vehicles to the Vidhana Soudha and the Vikasa Soudha.

A Division Bench comprising the Chief Justice, Nauvdip Kumar Sodhi, and Justice N.K. Patil asked the Government advocate to submit a modified plan of the proposal for providing security.

When the matter came up, Principal Government Advocate M.N. Seshadri said that since two of the four reception counters planned come within the notified area of Cubbon Park, where no construction is allowed, an IA was filed seeking the court's permission for going ahead with the project.

In the application, the Government said that on August 13, 2001, the High Court upheld the notification of July 30, 1998 (issued under the Karnataka Government Parks Preservation Act of 1975) specifying the limits of Cubbon Park. The court directed that no new construction should be carried out within the park without obtaining its clearance.

The Government said that after the December 2002 attack on Parliament House, several measures were initiated to step up security to Vidhana Soudha and the buildings around it.

The Bench observed security measures should be initiated for the High Court building. It said the open space around the High Court has turned into a parking spot and it is difficult to monitor the entry of people and vehicles.

The Bench adjourned further hearing on the matter to October 21.

BDA appeal

The High Court on Friday adjourned the hearing of the appeals by the State Government, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), and former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna against a single-judge order quashing the notifications on the acquisition of land for the formation of Arkavathy Layout.

A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Nauvdip Kumar Sodhi and Justice N. Kumar, is hearing the appeals to quash the April 15, 2005 order of a single judge.

While the Government and the BDA are seeking quashing of the single-judge order, Mr. Krishna wants the remarks made by the judge against him to be quashed.

Some of the petitioners said they are not against formation of the layout but only against the manner in which work was taken up.

They said the acquisition should have been done as per the law and in a transparent manner.

They claimed that they did not receive information from the BDA about the areas earmarked for the acquisition.