The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Somashekar questions delay in banning stamp papers in State

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Tuesday, Mar 18, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Somashekar questions delay in banning stamp papers in State

Special Correspondent

Seeks improvement in power supply in rural areas
Lokayukta urged to submit report on mining irregularities

BANGALORE: The Janata Dal (United) on Monday demanded that the former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna should make a “public statement of regret” for his failure to ban the use of stamp papers till 2003 despite the previous Janata Dal government having made necessary amendments to the Stamps Act to set the stage for such a ban.

Addressing a press conference here, JD(U) State president B. Somashekar said “Mr. Krishna will not have the moral right to re-enter politics till he expresses regret”.

He alleged that the Congress government had indirectly abetted the sale of fake stamp papers by Abdul Karim Telgi by delaying the ban on the sale of stamp papers.

Referring to the recent launching of the e-stamping system for stamp duty payment by Governor Rameshwar Thakur, he said it was he who had laid the foundation for this as Revenue Minister in 1998-99. “I amended Section 10 A of the Karnataka Stamp Act to provide for the use of alternatives to stamp papers,” he said.

He said he had introduced franking machines and provision for payment of stamp duty through challans and Demand Drafts. He had also launched a website with model copies of various deeds, which could be downloaded.

He wondered why the Congress government headed by Mr. Krishna, which succeeded the Janata Dal government, waited till 2003 to ban the sale of stamp papers.

He also took exception to the present dispensation failing to acknowledge his contribution to revenue reforms while launching the e-stamping system.

Mr. Somashekar urged the Centre to provide Karnataka’s legitimate share of the unallocated share of power (surplus quantity of power that can be allocated to States by the Centre using its discretion) from Central generating stations. He alleged that the Centre recently reduced the Karnataka’s share by about 150 MW while increasing Tamil Nadu’s share.

He expressed concern that power supply in rural areas had been hit by the shortage of power with the onset of summer. The extended periods of load shedding in rural areas had hit drinking water supply in a large number of villages, he said.

Report on mining

Mr. Somashekar urged Lokayukta Santosh Hegde, who is looking into mining irregularities, to submit his report to the Governor before the Assembly elections were held. The voters had a right to know if politicians and bureaucrats were involved in the irregularities. There was no need for the Lokayukta to wait for the Government’s nod to prosecute officials who had been caught taking bribes.

Mr. Somashekar urged the Centre to direct Tamil Nadu not to go ahead with the controversial power project at Hogenakkal.

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