The Hindu : Karnataka News : Electricity Bill, Universities Bill passed

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

Karnataka

Karnataka

Electricity Bill, Universities Bill passed

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, FEB. 3. The Karnataka Legislative Assembly today passed three Bills and held back two, including the Karnataka Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2005, which was tabled by the Deputy Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah.

The Assembly approved the Electricity (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2005, which empowers the vigilance police stations established at electricity supply companies to file complaints before the designated courts (special courts) for taking cognisance of offences under the Act. The Bill, moved by the Minister for Public Works and Energy, H.D. Revanna, was passed after including a further amendment exempting irrigation pumpsets, Bhagyajyoti and Kuteera Jyothi schemes from the Act.

The Karnataka State Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2005, moved by the Minister for Higher Education, D. Manjunath, and passed by the House, restricts the jurisdiction of Tumkur University to Tumkur district. The Bill replaces an Ordinance. In the original Act, Tumkur University had jurisdiction over Tumkur, Kolar and Bangalore Rural districts (excluding Hoskote and Kanakapura taluks).

The Minister assured J.C. Madhuswamy (Janata Dal-United) that Tumkur University, for which 280 acres of the land has been acquired, will be made fully operational. The Government will soon appoint a Vice-Chancellor, Registrar and Finance Officer and introduce new courses in the university.

The Assembly approved the Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2005, to confine the jurisdiction of the Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA) to Bangalore Urban and Bangalore Rural districts and remove Malur taluk of Kolar district from its purview.

Interest reduction

The Assembly held back for the day the Land Acquisition (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2004, as members of the Opposition said the proposal to reduce the interest rates on delayed compensation paid for lands acquired is not in the interest of farmers.

The Minister for Revenue, M.P. Prakash, saidhe will hold a meeting on the Bill before bringing it again to the House for approval.

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