BENGALURU: The State Cabinet, at its fifth meeting on Wednesday, approved the Karnataka Cooperative Societies Amendment Bill. With this, District Cooperative Central (DCC) bank officials at 5,600 Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACS) across the State can be transferred from one taluk to another. The far-reaching amendments will have a direct impact on the running of DCC banks across the state.
The Karnataka Cooperative Societies Amendment Bill 2021 has looked into the issue of cooperative members who passed away within one or two years of appointment and the process to be followed to fill up those posts. The definition of delegates and whether they can be accorded voting powers too have been dealt with, said sources in the cooperation ministry, as Cabinet briefing is not allowed with the bypolls to two Assembly constituencies and a Lok Sabha seat being announced.
In poll-bound Belagavi, the Cabinet okayed a scheme under the Jal Jeevan Mission to supply water to nine villages at a cost of Rs 45 crore. The extension of rates of non-tax revenue of licence renewal fee for cinemas and drive-in cinemas for five years too was approved. This is a correction of an anomaly. Permanent cinemas which usually pay Rs 1.25 lakh as a fee for five years had in an administrative anomaly dating back to 2018 had paid the amount grudgingly every year.
They had fought hard to get it corrected, and it has been done after three years. Chairman of the Film Exhibitors’ Association K V Chandrashekar told TNIE, “It is after nearly three years that we have received this respite. I welcome it. We had paid Rs 1.25 lakh every year, instead of once in five years and the government has finally corrected it.’’
The cabinet also okayed an allocation of Rs 153 crore to supply and distribute free textbooks for students studying in government-aided schools from Classes 1 to 10 and students of 74 Adarsha (Model) schools from Classes 6 to 10.
The Cabinet extended the term of special investigation team looking into illegal mining. Also, the consent was given to the Lokayukta to fill up 12 vacancies of senior assistant public prosecutors that were pending. It also allowed tabling of the 32nd annual consolidated report of the Karnataka Lokayukta for 2017-2018
before both Houses of the Legislature.
The Cabinet members approved the appointment of Lekadappa Jambigi, who is a District and Session Judge (retired), for the vacant post of Additional Registrar on contract. The upgradation of Ranebennur taluk-level hospital in Haveri district from 50 to 100 beds at a cost of Rs 10.84 crore and procurement of equipment under the Karnataka Transparency Procurement Policy to implement telemedicine services in 1,120 primary health centres and in 2,032 Health Wellness Centres in the state at an estimated cost of about Rs 19 crore too were given the approval.