Minor lapse hits Metro Rail?

Minor lapse hits Metro Rail?

N D Shiva Kumar | TNN


Bangalore: Racing against time to complete the Metro rail project, the government has now run into yet another obstacle which, in a way, is of its own making.
Portions of Lalbagh and the Indira Gandhi Musical Fountain Park had to be acquired for the Metro project and road widening works respectively. In November 2008, the government had brought out an ordinance to hand over 1,135.18 square metres of land at Lalbagh to Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC) for construction of an elevated station, and 1,223 square metres of land at the musical fountain park to BBMP for widening of the road.
It then tabled the Karnataka Gove r n m e n t (Preservation) Amendment Bill, 2009, for the handover on January 22, 2009, during the session at Belgaum. However, it couldn’t be debated upon and approval is still pending.
The government hopes to get the amendment Bill passed in the present session, which is scheduled to end on July 24. The problem is that an ordinance is valid for six months. In this case, it has expired and hence an amendment is necessary to formalize the process.
Law minister S Suresh Kumar said they may introduce the Bill on Monday. “The ordinance has lapsed, but the objective of acquiring land has been fulfilled. The Bill will be taken up for discussion on Monday or Tuesday.”
WHAT THE PRESENT ACT SAYS
The proposed amendment is to Act 23 of 1975, which reads: No land or building within the parks to which this Act is applicable shall be alienated... Any alienation made or licence granted in contravention of this section shall be null and void.