Give details on lake MoUs: Karnataka HC to state

PIL questions govt’s decision to hand over water body in Mysuru to Infosys Foundation
A man fishes in a puddle of water in the otherwise dry Doddabommasandra Lake.
A man fishes in a puddle of water in the otherwise dry Doddabommasandra Lake.

BENGALURU: Directing the state government and the BBMP to place on record procedures followed before entering into Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with private entities over rejuvenation of lakes, the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday asked the government to also furnish details of the offer made to Infosys Foundation in relation to Hebbal Lake in Mysuru.

A division bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice S Vishwajith Shetty passed the order after the government submitted that an offer was made to Infosys Foundation. The PILs are filed by Citizen Action Group and others.Asking whether the government or the BBMP issued any public notices inviting private entities to come forward with a proposal for rejuvenation of lakes, the bench said that the government had stated that it had made the offer to Infosys Foundation. Had the government issued a public notice, perhaps it could have got a better offer, the bench said.

The bench also directed the state government and the BBMP to furnish details of the extent of works carried out as per the MoUs so far.It made it clear that even if law permitted private entities to take up the works, it can be allowed only through a fair and transparent process. But nothing is placed on record, the bench added, while granting two weeks time to the state and BBMP to furnish the details.

The bench also said that both must make their stand clear on whether private entities are in possession of the lakes and whether any officer has been nominated to ensure that they comply with the terms and conditions of the MOUs.

In its response, the government stated that MOUs were being entered with the corporate entities with an intention to conserve and develop the lakes across the state. There is no parting of any right of transfer of property title of the lake to the sponsoring companies or agencies, the government submitted.

MoUs with pvt corporate entities
Infosys 
Foundation: 
Hebbal Lake, Mysuru
BEL: Doddabomma-sandra Lake, Bengaluru
Biocon Foundation: Hebbagodi Lake, Bengaluru
Titan Company Limited: Veerasandra Lake, Bengaluru
Say Trees Environmental Trust: Nallurahalli Lake, Bengaluru
CMR University: Chagalatti Lake, Bengaluru

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