BENGALURU: The Karnataka government in its submission to the High Court about Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike Community Involvement for Lake Conservation Policy, said that the policy nowhere contemplates handing over exclusive possession of the lakes to the corporate entities but, funds and their participation are invited for maintaining the lakes.
Advocate General K Shashikiran Shetty made this submission before the division bench of Chief Justice N V Anjaria and Justice K V Aravind after the counsels of the petitioners, senior advocate Jayna Kothari and advocate G R Mohan for the petitioners, expressed certain apprehensions about handing over the lake and the possession thereon to the corporate companies, which is one of the ‘entity’ defined in Clause 3.6 of the policy.
According to the order passed by the court on July 9, the policy contemplates handing over the task of maintenance and upkeep of the lakes in the city, which are stated to be 205 in number. The court give time to the counsels of the petitioners to put forth certain suggestions about certain clauses of the policy. The matter was adjourned to September 11.
Meanwhile, the Advocate General submitted that in the meantime within ten days, a specimen Memorandum of Understanding shall be prepared and a copy shall be handed over to the advocates for the petitioners to enable them to formulate their suggestions. The court then said that such a copy shall also be submitted on record for the court’s perusal.