BENGALURU: Warning of initiating action under suo motu against the authorities of the state government for defying its orders on the protection of trees, the Karnataka High Court directed the Bengaluru Urban District Tree Authority to commence tree census within two weeks.
The division bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Mohammad Nawaz issued this direction on Tuesday while hearing the PIL filed by Dattatraya T Devare, a senior citizen from Domlur.
“The tree census has not been carried out though it is mandatory, as per the Karnataka Preservation of Trees Act. It is only said that a proposal has been received from Institute of Wood Science & Technology. Meetings should be held at least once in three months. The Tree Authority (TA) was constituted on August 18, 2016 but only six meetings were held till today. At least 12 meetings should have been held,” the court said.
The TA has to ensure that the trees uprooted due to natural causes must be replaced. The court, however, said this was not being followed. In its objections, BBMP informed the court that there is an acute staff-crunch in its forest wing. The civic body requested the forest department to depute forest staff to all the zones of the civic body.
Relief to DK Shivakumar, two others in I-T case
The High Court on Tuesday stayed criminal proceedings initiated by the I-T Department against former minister DK Shivakumar and two others in connection with a case of cash seizure. Hearing a criminal revision petition filed by Shivakumar and others, Justice BA Patil stayed the proceedings till September 4, the next date of hearing. Shivakumar, N Rajendra and Anjaneya Hanumanthaiah moved the court questioning the rejection of their applications seeking discharge from the case, on June 25 by the special court.