Karnataka raises voice whenever tenets of federalism compromised: Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Sunday underlined the need to repose faith in the Constitution as well as cooperative federalism.
In his Republic Day speech replete with the mention of the Indian constitution and the need to protect it, Gehlot said the Karnataka government raised its voice whenever the tenets of federalism as enshrined in the constitution were compromised.
Noting that the Constitution in its very first article declares India to be a union of states, Gehlot said it divides the sovereign power between the federation or the union and the states.
"The Government of Karnataka is fully committed to uphold the practices of the principles of union and has accordingly contributed to the development of the country as per the ideals of the Constitution," the Governor said in his address from the Sam Manekshaw Parade Ground.
"Karnataka has raised its voice whenever the tenets of federalism have been compromised. This Republic Day, let us all reiterate our faith in the Constitution as well as cooperative federalism," he added.
Gehlot also underlined that the Constitution has recognized and respected the administrative authority of the States, thereby respecting the diversity of the country to uphold the unity and integrity of the country while giving more power to the Union Government.
"The architects of our Constitution gave us the administrative system for this diverse country by adopting the principles of power sharing. It was the dream of our Constitution makers to build strong States and thereby a strong India, hence it is our common responsibility to uphold our Union respecting their vision," the Governor said.
He emphasised that the real strength of the Indian republic lies in unity in diversity, resilience of democratic institutions and unwavering commitment to the values enshrined in the Constitution.
On the occasion, the Governor also explained the five guarantees to achieve the ideals of social and economic justice laid down in the constitution, which are 'Shakti', 'Anna Bhagya', 'Gruha Jyoti', 'Gruha Lakshmi' and 'Yuva Nidhi'.
Stating that the Karnataka government managed the finances well in 2024-25, Gehlot said by the end of December 2024, the state's revenue collection stood at Rs 1,81,908 crores, achieving a year-on-year growth of 13 per cent.
Karnataka ranks second in the country in terms of total GST revenue collected by states.
Gehlot said Karnataka, particularly Bengaluru, is recognised as a global technology hub, housing over 875 Global Capability Centres (GCCs) units, with more than 30 per cent of India's GCCs located in this city.
To further capitalise on this ecosystem, the Karnataka Government has introduced the Karnataka Global Capability Centre (GCC) Policy 2024-29, he added.
An impressive parade and colourful programme ensued after the Governor's address.
School children through their performances on patriotic songs showcased the hardships faced by the freedom fighters to achieve independence. The cultural diversity of the state and the country was highlighted during the event.
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Karnataka Assembly passes bill on Palace Grounds amid opposition protest
Bengaluru, Mar 6 (PTI): The Karnataka Assembly on Thursday passed the Bangalore Palace (Utilisation and Regulation of Land) Bill, reaffirming state ownership over 472 acres and 16 guntas of land here, amid protests by the opposition BJP.
During the discussion, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said the state government would have to provide Rs 200 crore worth of Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) for each acre of land, which means that for 15 acres, Rs 3,000 crore worth of TDR would be issued.
“If we accept it, then this 2-km stretch of road will become the costliest road in the world. If we accept it then how are we going to develop the city in later stages? How will you carry out development works?” asked Patil.
He also pointed out that this question was raised not only under the Congress government but also during the previous BJP regime.
However, the BJP-led cabinet has opposed the project.
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“Suppose we agree to it then, what will be the valuation of the 472 acres? It will be lakhs and lakhs of crores of rupees. Can we accept?” Patil wondered.
The Minister said the government had previously exercised its executive powers to issue an ordinance, which was approved by the Governor. Now the government is bringing a bill with two amendments.
“In this bill, we have made provisions either to develop or drop the road development work,” Patil explained.
However, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra and BJP MLA Arvind Bellad opposed the move, alleging that the government was targetting Yaduveer Krishna Datta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the scion of the Mysuru royal family, and the BJP MP from Mysuru-Kodagu constituency out of political vendetta.
“We talk of 472 acres of Mysuru Maharaja but here there are many Maharajas who too own 400 acres, 500 acres and thousands of acres of land, which is known to everyone,” Bellad said.
He slammed the Congress government, saying political power should not be misused for personal vendetta.
“Why (the then Deputy Chief Minister) Siddaramaiah brought the law in 1996 pertaining to the Bangalore Palace? Why are you setting eyes on the Bangalore Palace?” he asked.
Vijayendra charged that Wadiyar won the election on BJP ticket so the state government realised that it should acquire it.
“This bill has been brought for political vengeance. We are not discussing whether Rs 3,000 crore is exorbitant or not but the moment Yaduveer became MP, the state government woke up. You should be ashamed. This house should not be used for political vendetta,” he said.
Intervening, Minister Priyank Kharge said Vijayendra should not have raised it because the intention behind building the road was noble.
According to him, the BJP too had the same plan when it was in power.
He sought to know whether thousands of crores of rupees be spent on a road which should have cost significantly less.
In response, BJP MLA B A Basavaraj (Byrathi) said issuing TDR will not be a burden on the state government and appealed to the ruling Congress to reconsider its stance.
Minister Ramalinga Reddy too explained that the Karnataka government acquired the entire land way back in 1996.
The Mysuru royal family went to the High Court, which gave ruling in favour of the state government. The royal family then approached the Supreme Court, where the case is still going on, the Minister pointed out.
“The final judgment is pending in the SC to decide whether the acquisition was right or wrong. If the SC says it’s the royal family’s property then let it be so. If the order is in the state government’s favour then we can take a decision. The bill is only about it,” Reddy explained.
Speaker U T Khader then called for a voice vote and the bill was passed by the Assembly amidst opposition BJP’s discontent.
