BENGALURU: Even as farmer groups protest against it, the Karnataka Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation and Development) (Amendment) Bill, 2020, was tabled in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday. The bill seeks to replace an ordinance passed by the Karnataka cabinet in May, and is expected to face severe heat from the Opposition.
Thursday’s session is set to be an intense sitting with the Land Reforms Act (Second Amendment) Bill to be discussed. Revenue Minister R Ashoka’s attempt on the second consecutive day to get the bill approved was stalled by the Opposition, and both controversial bills will be taken up for discussion on Thursday.
The House approved nine bills on Wednesday, including the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (Third Amendment) Bill, 2020, that allows delimitation of BBMP wards to 250.
“A separate bill for BBMP will be tabled in the House that will include intricacies of how the wards will be divided, administrative authority, area, population etc,” said JC Madhuswamy, Law and Parliamentary Affairs minister. After much debate on why the government was choosing the ordinance route even for non-urgent decisions, the Industries (Facilitation) Act was passed.
Stone Crushers (Amendment) Bill, that allows extension of existing licences for up to 20 years, transfer of licence etc, Municipalities (Amendment) Bill aimed at establishing ‘neighbourhood groups, area sabhas and ward committees with specified powers for decentralisation at municipal corporation level (other than Bengaluru), State Open University Bill to extend income-tax exemptions, Civil Services Bill aimed at prohibiting absorption of public sector employees into government services, Loyakukta Amendment Bill for speedy disposal of pending complaints, Town and Country Planning were passed in the Assembly on Thursday. An amendment suggested to the Karnataka Epidemic Diseases bill by Congress’ HK Patil was rejected by the government and Speaker after the bill replaced the ordinance.
Bills passed