BENGALURU: Hearing a PIL seeking directions from the state government to constitute ward committees and area sabhas within the Mangaluru City Corporation, the HC asked the government to submit its response on the issue. The petition was filed by Nigel Albuquerque and Ajoy D’Silva, residents of Bejai, and Narendra Kumar and Kathyayini Chamaraj of Bengaluru.
They have contended that constituting ward committees and area sabhas is a constitutional right under Article 243-S and Section 13 of the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act. But no such committees have been constituted, even 25 years after the 74th constitutional amendment, which made it compulsory to form committees, they claimed.
A division bench of Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice S Sujatha adjourned the hearing after asking the government advocate to submit the response.
Trust moves HC over widening of road in Mullayanagiri
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court sought a response from the state government on public interest litigation questioning the alleged indiscriminate widening of roads at Mullayanagiri Hills in Chikmagaluru district. Mullayanagiri, which is the highest mountain peak in Karnataka, is home to various rare species of flora and fauna within the eco-sensitive zone of the Bhadra Tiger Reserve, the petitioners Bhadra Wildlife Conservation Trust and others, said. Hearing the petition which seeks directives to stop the road widening work, a division bench of Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice S Sujatha asked the government advocate to get instructions from the government on the matter, and adjourned further hearing to January 9, 2019. The petition says that the Public Works Department has, without any approvals or environment impact assessment, commenced road widening works in Mullayanagiri for the construction and widening of the road from Mullayanagiri to Seethalayyanagiri.