Questioning why action was initiated only against ministerial staff and not on any senior officials for keeping under wraps for one year a proposal from the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to amend the law related to renewal of licences, the Karnataka High Court on Wednesday directed the Chief Secretary to take appropriate action in this regard and file an affidavit by Friday.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice R. Devdas issued the direction after the government counsel pointed out that show cause notices were issued to two section officers for their lapse and their explanation has been sought by August 9.
However, the bench wondered how ministerial staff, like section officers, could keep the file under wraps without passing it to higher officials.
“Is it not failure of supervisory control? Are your secretaries clueless? It is an utter insult to the entire administrative system. It is absolutely farce as no Saab is responsible but only section officers are held responsible...,” the bench orally observed
The court, last week, had questioned how the government sat over the BBMP’s proposal for deleting or amending Section 443(10) of the Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act related to deemed grant of licence in cases where municipal corporations does not communicate orders within 45 days on the applications for renewal of licences or registration or permission. The BBMP had pointed out that a large number of advertising hoardings were continuing to benefit under this law.
The court was hearing a PIL petition, filed in 2007, initially questioning allowing of advertisement hoardings on certain roads despite declaration of ‘zero hoarding’ policy. Later, the petitioner questioned the BBMP’s advertisement by-laws of 2016.
3 more held for attack on BBMP staff
The police on Wednesday told the Karnataka High Court that they have arrested three more persons in connection with the attack on BBMP officials and workers at Ramamurthynagar on August 2 when they were removing illegal flex/banners/hoardings, and a charge sheet would be filed this week.
Advocate General Udaya Holla made this submission before a division bench comprising Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice R. Devdas during the hearing of a batch of PIL petitions, which have complained about the menace of illegal hoardings, banners and flexes.
The BBMP counsel said that criminal cases have been registered under laws related to prevention of disfigurement of public places and municipal laws while seeking time to submit details, including particulars about removal of illegal hoardings, banners and flexes following a direction issued by the court last week.
The bench adjourned further hearing till Friday.
