The Hindu : Karnataka News : Changes in laws to curb live bands likely

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 04, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka

Changes in laws to curb live bands likely

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, FEB. 3. The Government is concerned over the growing menace of live bands in Bangalore and elsewhere and is considering changes in the relevant laws to combat it, the Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, told the Legislative Council today.

Responding to a question from Maritibbe Gowda and L. Hanumanthaiah of the Congress and Vimala Gowda of the Bharatiya Janata Party and several supplementary questions, Mr. Dharam Singh said that in 2000 the Supreme Court ruled in a case involving the then Bangalore City Commissioner of Police and Mohan H. Pai that the provisions of the Licensing and Controlling of Public Amusement (Bangalore city) Order, 2002, are not applicable to live-band shows.

On March 26, 2003 the Government advised the Police Commissioner of Bangalore to draft an order for licensing places of public entertainment. However, the Commissioner of Police has not sent a proposal to the Government, he added. He said live bands have a deleterious effect on the youth, and added that the Government will make efforts to tackle the menace.

Powers of Lokayukta

Replying to questions from the Leader of the Opposition, D.H. Shankaramurthy, B.A. Hasanabba (Congress), and others, Mr. Dharam Singh said the Government has not ignored the Lokayukta reports nor has it asked the agency to stop conducting raids. The reports are now before the Cabinet subcommittee, he added.

When Mr. Shankaramurthy and the acting Chairman of the House, V.R. Sudarshan, pointed out that a Joint House Committee on powers of the Lokayukta proposed amendments to the relevant laws, Mr. Dharam Singh said they can be included in the Act to strengthen the agency.

Action against officials

Mr. Dharam Singh assured the House that the Government has initiated legal proceedings, including a criminal case, against the former Secretary of the Karnataka Public Service Commission A.K. Monappa, and the Deputy Director of Food and Civil Supplies, K. Rameshwarappa, who were allegedly responsible for the reported irregularities in the evaluation of answer scripts of the gazetted probationers' examination.

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