The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : MLC calls for cancellation of quarrying licences

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 24, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

MLC calls for cancellation of quarrying licences

Staff Reporter

Says quarrying around Bangalore has destroyed rock formations

BANGALORE: The Government must cancel the leases issued for quarrying in Bangalore Urban district in the interests of Bangalore's environment and beauty, K.B. Munivenkatareddy (Congress) said in the Legislative Council on Thursday.

Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy told the member during Question Hour that 789 quarry leases have been sanctioned in Bangalore Urban district. However 152 leases were cancelled as the areas concerned were in the vicinity of the IT corridor and residential areas.

`Exploit tourism potential'

Mr. Munivenkatareddy said indiscriminate sanctioning of quarry leases around Bangalore has led to the disappearance of ancient rock formations, which had their own beauty and value, and what is left must be preserved as a cultural heritage and exploited for their tourism potential.

Mr. Kumaraswamy said since he has already announced that a new mining policy will be put in place, he will try to address those concerns in the course of drafting the policy.

Vimala Gowda (BJP) said Cosmopolitan Club in Jayanagar had leased the property on which it is located from the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) at Rs. 1,800 a year, and its lease expired many years ago. But the BMP has neither reclaimed the property nor worked out a lease more relevant to the times, she said.

Other properties

There are scores of other properties in prime locations — Gandhinagar (Cinema Workers' Association), Malleswaram (Gokhale Institute of Public Affairs) — of which the lease had expired, but the BMP has not taken any action, she said.

Mr. Kumaraswamy replied that there are 94 instances of lessees overstaying on BMP property. The BMP receives Rs. 43 lakhs from its leased properties. Many have sought extension or continuation of the leases and the requests are under consideration.

Mr. Kumaraswamy told Aravind Limbavali (BJP) that ever since the modernisation of the Police Department was initiated in 2000-01, better weaponry has been provided and all police stations have been given one jeep each apart from motorcycles and patrolling vehicles. Police stations near highways have been given ambulances.

Networking between police stations and the respective district headquarter towns has been enabled and appropriate weaponry and equipment such as night-vision binoculars and doorframe, hand-held and deep search metal detectors have also being provided.

To modernise the Intelligence Wing intelligence gathering is being streamlined and modern gadgets are being provided. An Inspector-General of Police has been appointed in the Anti-Terrorist Cell by the Ministry of Home Affairs to liase between the Centre and the State on matters relating to extremist or terrorist activities, Mr. Kumaraswamy said.

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