K'taka to constitute 8 task forces to monitor development work in B’luru, take emergency decisions
Bengaluru(PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said a task force headed by a Minister will be constituted for all the eight zones in the city to monitor developmental work and to take necessary decisions in their respective jurisdictions whenever there is any emergency like heavy rains.
The Chief Minister along with MLAs and Ministers from the city and officials on Friday visited several rain-affected areas of K R Puram, Ramamurthy Nagar and surrounding areas to assess the situation and gave necessary instructions.
Several areas were flooded and houses were inundated in many parts of the city following the torrential rain that lashed Bengaluru on Tuesday night and incessant rains thereafter.
"For each zone (under Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) we are forming a task force which will be headed by a Minister, while MLAs, MLCs and MPs will be its members; it will also have engineers and joint commissioners," Bommai said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, they will monitor development works and will have powers to take decisions whenever faced with emergency situations due to heavy rains and floods.
"So eight task forces will be constituted for eight zones in the city today itself and under them all the work will be managed. We have taken this important decision," he added.
Meanwhile, taking a serious view, the Chief Minister has directed Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) Commissioner to immediately cancel the notification issued for change of land use from water body to residential purpose, citing cartographic errors in the Revised Master Plan (RMP) 2015.
He also directed action on officers responsible for issuing this notification against public interest, following which the BDA Commissioner has issued a cancellation order, and action on erring officers will follow forthwith.
"They (officials) said there was some cartographic error, I did not agree to it. These are all nonsense, so we have cancelled the notification and there is no question of allowing any layouts in the notified lake area," Bommai said commenting on the issue.
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Karnataka to approach SC seeking permission to continue MGNREGA
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka Cabinet on Thursday decided to approach the Supreme Court seeking permission to continue implementation of MGNREGA in the state, contending that the Centre had repealed the rural employment guarantee law without consultation and failed to put in place any alternative mechanism under the VB-G RAM G Act.
Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said the state would immediately move the apex court seeking permission to prepare and implement the annual action plan for rural employment works, while also challenging what it described as an infringement on the constitutional rights of states.
The parliament passed VB-G RAM G in December that replaces MGNREGA.
Patil explained that the Cabinet decided to approach the court seeking permission for the State Government to prepare an action plan in this regard. Since the Centre’s stand interferes with the constitutional rights of state governments, the Cabinet has also decided to challenge this issue before the appropriate court
“There are two points here. One is that they have come in the way of our constitutional right of providing the right to work. That has been halted, and, therefore, the State Government has decided to approach the Supreme Court. The second point is that the Government of India has not provided any alternative,” the Minister said.
The Central Government has not yet issued a notification to implement the VB-G RAM G Act, nor has it made any alternative arrangements and hence continuing Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is unavoidable in the public interest, the Minister said.
“Therefore, in the interest of the public, farmers and agricultural labourers, we must continue MGNREGA. For that purpose, the Cabinet has decided to approach the court seeking permission for the State Government to prepare the action plan for this year,” he added.
The Minister also said the Centre had only permitted continuation of pending and spillover MGNREGA works without releasing grants or announcing a fresh action plan.
“The Centre itself has said that pending, spillover and half-done MGNREGA works can continue. That means MGNREGA is actually still functioning in practice. But there is no new action plan,” he said.
Patil said the state had already passed a resolution on the issue, while Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had written to the Prime Minister and the Rural Development Minister had held discussions with Union Ministers.
Replying to questions, the minister said the state would move court “as immediately as possible.”
He clarified that the state was seeking permission to formulate and implement this year’s action plan under the existing framework.
“What we are asking the Supreme Court is to allow us to have the action plan for this year and implement it,” he said.
The Cabinet also held detailed discussions on the final report submitted by the State Education Policy Commission headed by former UGC chairman Professor Sukhadeo Thorat.
Patil said a Cabinet sub-committee would be constituted to examine the report and recommend measures for implementation.
“No decision has been taken yet. The Cabinet sub-committee will recommend what should be accepted and what should be modified,” he said.
He said the report comprised around eight volumes and covered issues relating to financial implications, human resources, curriculum reforms, deemed universities, unitary universities and newly established universities. The Chief Minister has been authorised to constitute the sub-committee.
The Cabinet also approved the Karnataka Motor Transport and Other Related Workers’ Social Security and Welfare Amendment Bill, 2026, transferring welfare administration of transport-related workers from the Labour Department to the Transport Department.
The Cabinet further approved establishment of three new industrial estates in Kalaburagi, Yadgir and Surpur under the Karnataka State Small Industries Development Corporation and Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board schemes at an estimated cost of Rs 200 crore.
The Cabinet also approved amendments to Karnataka Civil Services (General Recruitment) Rules, 2026, providing two per cent reservation in state civil services appointments for sportspersons.
