Karnataka govt withdraws 60 cases against farmers, students, Kannada activists
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka cabinet on Thursday decided to withdraw 60 police cases linked to farmers, students and Kannada activists among others, Law and Parliament Affairs Minister H K Patil said.
The Minister did not share further details on the cases.
"We have withdrawn 60 cases which were filed by the government; they include cases booked against farmers, students, Kannada activists. We have withdrawn the cases in various police stations," Patil told reporters briefing cabinet decisions.
The Cabinet also gave approval for the construction of a 37.121 km double-decker metro viaduct and elevated road along two corridors of Phase-3 of the Bangalore Metro Rail Project.
This project is from J P Nagar 4th Phase to Hebbal (ORR West) and from Hosahalli to Kadabagere via Magadi Road at an estimated cost of Rs 9,700 crore.
Administrative approval was given for Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences to purchase 25 acres of land from the Karnataka Housing Board at Rs 65 crore for establishing a new medical college at Rayasandra village of Kanakapura taluk in Bengaluru South district.
The cabinet also gave its nod for leasing of land to the Congress Bhavan Trust for the construction of a party office at Koppal, Badami.
Approval was also granted for a project by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) for the construction of six new wastewater treatment plants at various locations in Bengaluru city, and their operation and maintenance (O&M) for 7 years at an estimated cost of Rs. 956.67 crore.
Further, the cabinet okayed works at an estimated cost of Rs 398 crore to develop backward colonies in urban areas of various assembly constituencies, inhabited by minorities, into "model colonies".
The cabinet gave its consent to provide state assistance of Rs 1 lakh under a scheme for road accident victims , in addition to the Government of India's assistance of Rs 1.50 lakh, under the Cashless Treatment of Road Accident Victims Scheme (CTRAV) 2025.
Approvals were also given to notify "The Karnataka Management Rules, e-Sakshya 2025".
Explaining, the Minister said, "E-evidence is any evidence collected/recorded by the investigating officer, police or any other person authorized by the competent authority to conduct an investigation for any offence through the e-evidence mobile application, which includes video recording, photographs, photographs of witnesses and photograph of the investigating officer/recording officer."
He said, "Courts can view and manage all evidence related to their jurisdiction on the CIS (Case Information System) application or ICIS (Integrated Court Information System) or on the e-evidence portal."
Also approval was accorded to notify "The Karnataka Service of Summons by Police officer Rules, 2025".
Administrative approvals have been given for purchase and distribution of sanitary napkin pads under the "Suchi" programme at an estimated cost of Rs 71.83 crore, for the implementation of the "Asha Kirana" scheme to provide spectacles to the needy at an estimated total amount of Rs 52.85 crores in all the districts of the state.
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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.
