Karnataka HC notice to Karnataka govt on PIL against sections of BBMP Act
Bengaluru, Feb 28: The High Court of Karnataka has issued notice to the state government on a public interest litigation challenging the Constitutional validity of several sections of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike Act, 2020.
The Citizens Action Forum has challenged Sections 75, 76, 77, 78, 79 and 86 of the Act claiming that they "are prima facie violative of several provision of the Constitution of India."
The petition has also alleged that Sections 75 and 77, which allow creation of Constituency Consultative Committee and the Zonal Committee, "that in effect operate so as to supersede the Ward Committees and render them otiose."
The Constitution allows for the creation of ward committees but not other panels. "These committees have been established in blatant violation of the spirit of Article 243-S" of the Constitution, the petition says.
The petition came up for hearing before a division bench headed by Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale.
Section 76 of the BBMP Act prescribes the function of the Constituency Consultative Committee while Section 78 outlines the powers and functions of the Zonal Committee.
The petition alleges that the "Constituency Consultative Committee exercises executive and supervisory powers over the Zonal Committee which in turn exercises executive and supervisory powers over the Ward Committees."
Alleging that "the impugned Sections are in blatant disregard of Part IX-A of the Constitution, its objectives and reasons, and renders the Ward Committees, established by constitutional mandate, nugatory and otiose," the petition calls for their quashing.
Citing an example of how the ward committees have been made toothless', the petition said, "The Government of Karnataka has on 01.04.2022 announced that the BBMP's budget outlay for the year 2022-23 will be Rs.10,484 Crore. The Government of Karnataka has on 08.05.2022 conditionally approved an additional outlay of Rs.377.5 Crore. Of these funds, Rs.924 Crore are earmarked for Ward level works. These public monies will be utilized by the Constituency Consultative Committees and the Zonal Committees, to the exclusion of the Ward Committees."
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Talks with Iran ended after 21 hours without reaching agreement, says US Vice President Vance
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Islamabad (PTI): US Vice President JD Vance said on Sunday that the Islamabad Talks with Iran failed as the two sides could not bridge the gulf of differences despite hectic efforts spreading more than 21 hours.
Vance addressed a press conference here after “substantive discussions” in direct talks between the two sides -- the first since 1979 at this level --mediated by Pakistan.
“We have been at it now for 21 hours, and we have had a number of substantive discussions, that’s the good news,” Vance said.
“The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement,” he added.
“We have made very clear what our red lines are, what things we are willing to accommodate them on and what things we are not,” the US vice president said, adding that the Iranian delegation had “chosen not to accept our terms”.
He was asked to elaborate the main sticking points of what did the Iranians reject but he refused to go into specifics.
“I won’t go into all the details because I don’t want to negotiate in public after we negotiated for 21 hours in private. But the simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon and that they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon,” Vance said
He said stopping Iran from getting a "nuke" was the “core goal of the US president, and that’s what we have tried to achieve through these negotiations”.
Vance also praised Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, terming them “incredible hosts”.
“Whatever shortcomings were in the negotiations were not because of Pakistanis, who did an amazing job and really tried to help us and the Iranians bridge the gap and get to a deal,” he said.
Separately, the spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esmaeil Baqaei, in an X message also confirmed that the two sides failed to make a deal and “numerous messages and texts have been exchanged between the two sides".
“In the past 24 hours, discussions were held on various dimensions of the main negotiation topics, including the Strait of Hormuz, the nuclear issue, war reparations, lifting of sanctions, and the complete end to the war against Iran and in the region,” he wrote.
“The success of this diplomatic process depends on the seriousness and good faith of the opposing side, refraining from excessive demands and unlawful requests, and the acceptance of Iran’s legitimate rights and interests.”
Baqaei also expressed appreciation to the “government and the warm-hearted and noble people of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan for hosting the negotiations and their benevolent efforts in advancing this process”.
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