Karnataka govt sanctions ₹300 crore for newly formed Bengaluru corporations
Bengaluru: The state government has granted ₹300 crore to five newly formed corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Area (GBA) to cover administrative expenses like personnel pay, as reported by Deccan Herald.
Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D K Shivakumar said on Wednesday that the government has also approved the recruitment of 500 engineers to oversee ward-level works. Ward boundaries are expected to be finalised within three months.
Speaking after unveiling the nameboard of the Greater Bengaluru Authority headquarters, Mr. Shivakumar said the foundation stone for the offices of the new corporations would be laid on November 1. “I have instructed officials to fix the boundaries of all corporations by installing signages so that there is no confusion,” he said.
He added that the existing Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), which has 198 wards, would be expanded to 500 wards under the GBA. “This restructuring will bring administration closer to citizens. Bengaluru’s population has already crossed 1.4 crore, besides a large floating population. Smaller wards will help improve governance,” Shivakumar said.
He further noted that new areas, including gram panchayat limits, would gradually be brought under the GBA’s jurisdiction.
According to a recent government order, each corporation will be headed by two IAS officers and one KAS officer, supported by two chief engineers and other technical and non-technical staff.
The minister also invited public participation in designing the five new corporation offices. “We are calling for design suggestions from citizens, including architects. The best three to five designs will be selected, with prizes of ₹5 lakh for the winners,” he announced.
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Illegal sand mining has created environmental crisis in National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary: SC
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Friday said rampant illegal riverbed sand mining has created an "environmental crisis" and wreaked "havoc" in the National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary, causing a grave risk to the gharial (long-snouted crocodile) preservation project.
Slamming the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh for their utter failure in dealing with the issue, the apex court directed them to install high-resolution Wi-Fi-enabled CCTV cameras along all routes frequently used for illegal sand mining in the area.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta directed that live feed of such surveillance cameras shall be placed under the direct control, supervision and operational oversight of the superintendent of police or the senior superintendent of police of the concerned district and the divisional forest officer.
It said these officers shall ensure continuous and effective monitoring of the CCTV feeds by designating appropriate officers.
"It can't be gainsaid that the issues involved are of great concern in as much as the rampant illegal mining activities in the river bed have created an environmental crisis and havoc in the National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary causing a grave risk to the very project of gharial preservation of which the state governments themselves were proponents and were under an obligation to foster and promote," Justice Mehta said while pronouncing the order.
The bench directed the authorities in these three states to initiate prompt and necessary action under law if any instance of illegal mining or allied activities comes to light.
It said the authorities shall ensure seizure of vehicles or machinery found involved in illegal sand mining and also initiate prosecution of persons involved in it.
The bench, which passed several other directions, posted the matter for hearing on May 11.
The top court passed the order in a suo motu case titled 'In Re: Illegal sand mining in the National Chambal Sanctuary and threat to endangered aquatic wildlife'.
The National Chambal Sanctuary, also called the National Chambal Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary, is a 5,400-sq km tri-state protected area.
Besides the endangered gharial, it is home to the red-crowned roof turtle and the endangered Ganges river Dolphin.
Located on the Chambal river near the tripoint of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, the sanctuary was first declared a protected area in Madhya Pradesh in 1978 and now constitutes a long and narrow eco-reserve co-administered by the three states.
On March 13, the top court took suo motu cognisance of news reports about rampant illegal sand mining on the banks of the Chambal river.
