BENGALURU: The state cabinet on Saturday approved the introduction of an amendment to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Bill, 1960, to enable the state to hold both Kambala and bullock cart races.
Briefing reporters after a cabinet meeting, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs T B Jayachandra said the amendment Bill will be introduced in the legislature session starting February 6 and they will make all attempts to get the Bill passed. “Since this is on the Concurrent List, even the state can legislate. The amendment Bill will state these are traditional sports and should be allowed,” he said.
The state has also approved the starting of Dr B R Ambedkar School of Economics from the academic year 2017-18. For expenses incurred by the school, Rs 107 crores has been released to the Department of Higher Education.
“Out of this, `17 crore will be used for initial expenses and `90 crore will be used for building infrastructure. The building is estimated to cost Rs 150 crores,” Higher Education Minister Basavaraj Rayareddy said. The school will also be an autonomous institute.
To manage other expenses, the Cabinet has also approved the forming of a corpus fund of Rs 150 crores, of which `75 crore will be given by the state government and another Rs 75 crore will be raised through private sponsors.
Retired IAS officer and economist Anup K Pujari will be a special officer. Going by the report prepared by former chief secretary S V Ranganath on the modalities of starting the school, 43.35 acres in Bangalore University premises will be given on a 99-year lease to the School of Economics. Though the mode of admission to the school has not been worked out, reservation of 20 per cent will be given for Schedule Castes and 10 per cent for Schedule Tribes.