SC dismisses Karnataka govt plea on Bengaluru lakes
New Delhi, Nov 22: The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea filed by the Karnataka government challenging a National Green Tribunal order asking it to deposit Rs 500 crore in an escrow account for failure to check pollution in three lakes in Bengaluru.
The NGT, in its December 6, 2018 order, had observed that there was a failure of very high magnitude on the part of the Karnataka government and its authorities, including the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, in protecting the three lakes -- Bellandur, Agara and Varthur -- and also in keeping the 'Rajakaluves' or storm water drains joining the lakes clean and free from encroachments.
The tribunal had also asked the state government to submit a performance guarantee of Rs 100 crore.
Appearing for the Karnataka government in the apex court on Friday, senior advocate Devadatt Kamat said the state had to make separate budgetary allocation for depositing such a huge amount and that the amount directed to be deposited was neither a fine nor a penalty.
A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justice B R Gavai, however, refused to entertain the plea and dismissed it.
The NGT in its order had earlier said that there is a clear need to require the state and the BBMP to forthwith perform their duties to remedy the situation by preparing the requisite action plan and providing funds.
"In Spite of admitted grave situation, the State/BBMP have not taken any coercive measures against polluters or the concerned officers for their failure. No prosecution is shown to have been launched. No serious steps are shown to have been taken to remedy the situation. Thus, the State and BBMP are also liable to pay compensation for the past failure," the green bench had said.
The NGT had also formed a committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Santosh Hegde to monitor the cleaning work and removal of encroachments.
"The State of Karnataka will deposit a sum of Rs. 50 crores by way of interim compensation for restoration of the environment with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). BBMP will be required to deposit a sum of Rs 25 crore in this regard to CPCB ," the tribunal had said.
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Fully confident of winning bypolls to 2 Assembly constituencies in Karnataka: CM Siddaramaiah
Davangere (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday asserted that he was one hundred per cent confident that Congress will win by-polls to two Assembly Constituencies in the state, claiming the BJP will face defeat, similar to what they experienced in earlier byelections.
He also played down the disgruntlement among the other ticket aspirants in the Congress, saying that everyone will be convinced and come together to ensure the party's victory.
Bypolls for the Bagalkot and Davanagere South Assembly constituencies will be held on April 9. The polls were necessitated following the deaths of senior Congress MLAs H Y Meti and Shamanur Shivashankarappa, respectively.
"I'm one hundred per cent confident that we will win both seats. BJP may claim that they will win, but where have they won? They had made similar claims in the previous bypolls, didn't we defeat sons of former CMs Basavaraj Bommai and H D Kumaraswamy?" Siddaramaiah asked in response to a question.
Speaking to reporters here, he said the BJP may claim things, but the Congress government has fulfilled its promises and walked the talk by implementing five guarantee schemes.
"People of the state are in our (Congress) favour. We have proved it in the previous byelections. People, including Dalits, backward class people, poor, farmers and minorities -- all of them are with us," he added.
When questioned about claims by some BJP leaders that the bypoll results would indicate the outcome of the 2028 Assembly polls in the state, the CM asked, "When they won't win, what indicator is that?"
"We are in power, we won three by-elections earlier, and I'm confident that we will win these by-elections too," he added.
Congress in November 2024 had swept the by-polls to three Assembly constituencies -- Sandur, Shiggaon and Channapatna.
Responding to a question, Siddaramaiah claimed that the BJP will face defeat in all four states -- Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and the union territory of Puducherry -- which are going for polls.
After several rounds of discussion amid stiff competition for the party tickets, Congress on Sunday announced Umesh Meti and Samarth Mallikarjun as the party candidates for Assembly by-polls to Bagalkot and Davangere South assembly constituencies, respectively.
The Congress gave tickets to family members of the late legislators in both constituencies. While Umesh Meti is the son of H Y Meti, Samarth Mallikarjun is the grandson of Shamanur Shivashankarappa.
Expressing confidence that the disgruntlement within the party, following candidate selection, especially in the Davangere South constituency, will be resolved, the CM said, adding that the candidate selection was a unanimous decision by the party.
Pointing out that ticket aspirant Sadiq Pailwan has announced he will contest as a rebel in Davangere South, he said, "We will try and convince him."
When asked whether Muslims would be compensated, Siddaramaiah said, "Nothing has been discussed, but we will try to give representation to minorities."
There was a strong demand from Muslims for the Davangere South ticket, as the community has a significant presence in the constituency. Some factions within Congress had opposed giving the ticket to the Shamanur family.
