The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Panchayat resolution allowing planters to use tank water stayed

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Friday, Jan 05, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Panchayat resolution allowing planters to use tank water stayed

Staff Reporter

HIGH COURTROUND-UP

BANGALORE: The Karnataka High Court on Thursday stayed a resolution by the Nittur Gram Panchayat in Kodagu permitting coffee planters to use water from the Vadderemadu Tank near the village.

The petitioners had moved the court stating that the tank formed part of the Nagarahole National Park and the panchayat had no right or jurisdiction to levy a fee on coffee planters for using water from the tank for irrigation.

The petitioners said that a resolution permitting coffee planters to use water was passed by the panchayat on February 17. They had urged the court to quash the resolution.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Cyriac Joseph and Justice B.S. Patil said it would stay the resolution in public interest.

It directed the panchayat to discontinue the arrangement it had made with the owners of coffee plantations.

Rejected

The Division Bench rejected an interlocutory application by Janajagruti Samithi seeking a direction to the authorities and Nagarjuna Power Corporation to maintain status quo on the nature and possession of the land acquired for the project.

The samithi claimed that the authorities were permitting destruction of green cover in the area and that it would in the long run prove detrimental to the ecology of the area.

The samithi said that the plant that was coming up near Nandikur would cause large-scale ecological damage as it was located on the land between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats.

The Bench observed that the samithi had not produced any material to show that trees were being cut in areas or land not acquired for the project and rejected the interlocutory application.

It posted to February 1 hearing on the writ petition.

Pulled up

A Division Bench comprising Justice H.L. Dattu and Justice Anand Byrareddy on Thursday pulled up the Kolar police for the tardy manner in which they had investigated a complaint of a missing boy from Gudibande.

The Bench directed the Superintendent of Police, Kolar; the Circle Inspector of Police, Gudibande, and the Sub-Inspector of Gudibande to be present before the court on Friday along with the investigation reports, case diary and other materials.

The Bench sought to know why it had taken a month for the police to register a case even after a missing complaint was filed.

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