Local authority has no power to collect taxes from establishments in industrial areas under KIADB, says Karnataka High Court
'The power to regulate and approve development activities, including the right to levy and collect tax within such industrial estates, vests exclusively with the KIADB. The gram panchayat cannot usurp such authority in the absence of a specific statutory conferment,' the court said.
Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum passed the order while allowing the petitions filed by Kalpatharu Breweries and Distilleries Pvt. Ltd. and several other industrial establishments situated in Sompura industrial area of Nelamangala near Bengaluru. The petitioners had questioned the notices issued by the Sompura Grama Panchayat asking them to pay property tax.
Jurisdiction issue
The court said the local authorities get jurisdiction over industrial areas only when the government issues a notification under Section 37 of the KIAD Act transferring the industrial areas from the control of the KIADB to the local authorities concerned.
'Until such notification is issued, the jurisdiction of the KIADB remains intact and exclusive. Further, Section 47 of the KIAD Act gives overriding effect to the provisions of the Act over any other law that is inconsistent with its provisions. The statutory scheme therefore leaves no room for implied or incidental exercise of jurisdiction by any local authority, including gram panchayats,' the court said, while setting aside notices issued by the gram panchayat to the industrial establishments.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
6 hours ago
- The Hindu
The Evening Wrap: July 31, 2025
A day after announcing 25% tariff rate on India in addition to an unspecified 'penalty' tariff for India purchasing Russian energy and arms, U.S. President Donald Trump has dubbed both the nations as 'dead economies'. Launching a fresh attack on social platform Truth Social, Mr. Trump wrote 'I don't care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care.' 'We have done very little business with India, their Tariffs are too high, among the highest in the World,' he added. His post also 'warned' former Russian President Dimitry Medvedev 'to watch his words.' He's entering very dangerous territory!, Mr. Trump's post read. Mr. Medvedev, on July 28, had posted in X, formerly Twitter: 'Trump's playing the ultimatum game with Russia: 50 days or 10… He should remember 2 things: 1. Russia isn't Israel or even Iran. 2. Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country. Don't go down the Sleepy Joe road!' Meanwhile, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal informed both Houses of Parliament on Thursday that the government is examining the impact of the 25% tariffs and penalty announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on imports from India, and is communicating with all domestic stakeholders to assess the impact. 'We will take all necessary steps to secure and advance our national interests,' he said. 'The Government is confident that we will continue our fast paced journey of inclusive growth and sustainable development towards the goal of Viksit Bharat 2047. India is moving confidently towards self-reliance.' He further highlighted that, in an increasingly protectionist world, India has entered into 'mutually beneficial' trade agreements with the U.A.E., U.K., Australia and EFTA countries. 2008 Malegaon blast case: Special NIA court acquits all seven accused, including Pragya Thakur, Lt. Col. Purohit Seventeen years after the blast, a special NIA court in Mumbai has acquitted all seven accused, including former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt. Col. Prasad Purohit, in the 2008 Malegaon blast case. Special Judge A.K. Lahoti delivered the verdict. The NIA court, in its judgment, said that the prosecution 'failed to prove the case' and that the accused 'deserved the benefit of doubt'. The provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) were not applicable to the case, the court said. The judge observed that the prosecution could not prove that the bike to which the bomb was allegedly strapped, belonged to Pragya Thakur. Ms. Thakur had turned into a sansyasi two years before the bomb blast took place in Malegaon. She had already given up all the material things in life before the incident happened, the court said. It's hard to establish prosecution's claims that there was any conspiracy between the accused. There is no evidence to prove the claims that an organisation named Abhinav Bharat that was founded by Pragya Thakur and Col. Purohit, used the funds generated through the organisation to execute the bomb blast, the court further observed. The court also said there was no evidence to prove that Lt. Col Purohit had sourced RDX from Kashmir and assembled the bomb at his residence. On September 29, 2008, a bomb exploded in Malegaon, Nashik district, killing 10 and injuring over 100 people. A case was filed by the Azad Nagar police station, but later re-registered by the Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) in November 2008 and charges under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) were applied. In January 2009, the ATS filed its first chargesheet followed it with a supplementary chargesheet in April 2011. However, in April 2011, the Ministry of Home Affairs suo motu directed the NIA to take up further investigation of the case. In May 2016, the NIA had filed its second supplementary chargesheet and dropped MCOCA charges against former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur, Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit, retired Major Ramesh Upadhyay, Sameer Kulkarni, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi and Sudhakar Chaturvedi. In December 2017, Special Judge S.D. Tekale dropped MCOCA charges and charged them under Sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Arms Act, the Explosive Substances Act and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. All the accused are currently on bail. Dharmasthala mass burial case: Partial skeletal remains found at sixth site The Special Investigation Team found partial skeletal remains of a body in the sixth of the 13 sites identified by 50-year-old complainant in Dharmasthala, on July 31. The complainant had alleged illegal burial of bodies in Dharmasthala. The SIT officials said they have not found a skull at the sixth site, but have discovered about 15 bones. A few of these bones were broken. The forensic doctor at the spot has prima facie opined that the bones were of a male. Final opinion would be given only after a forensic examination, the SIT officials said. Forensic doctors and the scene-of-crime officers seized the body parts after noting down the details, including the location and the way the parts were found. Stella Verghese, Assistant Commissioner, Puttur sub-division, was present at the spot. The complainant is a former sanitation worker, who had given a statement to the SIT about burial of over 100 bodies between 1995 and 2014. On July 28, the SIT took the complainant to the bathing ghat in Dharmasthala where he listed 13 alleged burial sites. The process of digging up the sites started on July 29. A total of five sites were dug up till July 30; however, no human remains were found. The digging at the sixth site, which is in the forest area and close to the Netravathi river, commenced on July 31 morning. While digging at the first site, the SIT found the debit card of a woman and the PAN card of a man. The investigation team tracked down the family of the man whose PAN card was recovered. The man, Suresh, hailing from Nelamangala taluk in Bengaluru Rural district, died of jaundice in March 2025 at his native village and last rites were conducted there, too. The SIT visited his house and the father of the deceased confirmed the same. The deceased was an alcoholic, the SIT officials said. They suspects that he may have lost his PAN card when he visited Dharmasthala before his death. Regarding the Rupay debit card that was in the name of a woman, an SIT officer said: 'The bank is yet to provide us with her details and cross-verification of her whereabouts is still underway.' Will PM and Maharashtra CM appeal Malegaon acquittal, like Mumbai train blast verdict? asks Owaisi Hyderabad parliamentarian Asaduddin Owaisi described the acquittal of all accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blasts case as 'disappointing' even as he questioned whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis would appeal the verdict like that against the acquittals in the 2006 Mumbai train blasts case. Mr. Owaisi took to X on Thursday and underscored that six Muslim worshippers were killed in the attack and another 100 were injured near a masjid in Malegaon. He maintained that the attack was a clear act of terrorism targeting Muslims for their faith. The MP questioned the silence of Maharashtra's political parties, particularly those who describe themselves as secular, asking whether they would now demand accountability for the failed investigation. He recalled that it was in 2016 that special public prosecutor Rohini Salian had reportedly stated that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had instructed her to 'go soft' on the accused. In 2017, the NIA sought to have Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur acquitted from the case. Ms Thakur, who was later fielded by the BJP, was elected to the Lok Sabha from Bhopal in 2019. Mr. Owaisi also recalled the role of police officer Hemant Karkare, from the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), who investigated the Malegaon case and was later killed in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. He recollected that Sadhvi Pragya had reportedly stated that she had cursed Mr. Karkare. He also wondered whether officers in the NIA and ATS would face any consequences for what he described as a 'faulty' investigation. 'This is the 'tough on terror' Modi government. The world will remember that it made a terror accused a Member of Parliament,' he stated. In Brief: The camp led by former Chief Minister and former coordinator of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) O. Panneerselvam, on Thursday, announced its decision of quitting the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Earlier in the morning, Mr. Panneerselvam met Chief Minister and DMK president M.K. Stalin at the Theosophical Society where the latter routinely goes for a walk. Emerging from a three-hour-long meeting of Mr. Panneerselvam with his colleagues and supporters, Panruti S. Ramachandran, former Minister who has been acting as an advisor of the camp, told journalists in Chennai there was no need for him to state the reason explicitly. 'The State knows it,' Mr. Ramachandran observed. The Income Tax Department on Thursday conducted a survey operation at the premises of some broking companies as part of an alleged tax evasion probe against Jane Street, the U.S.-based proprietary trading firm accused of market manipulation, official sources said. Sources stated the department is undertaking a 'verification' exercise in the backdrop of a recent Sebi action against Jane Street. In an interim order issued on July 3, Sebi found Jane Street (JS) guilty of manipulating indices by simultaneously placing bets in cash along with futures and options markets to secure massive gains. The Maharashtra government withdrew its decision to implement a 10% Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota in private medical colleges, stating that the reservation will be applicable only if the Central Government or the respective Council increases the existing seats. The State Medical Education & Drugs Department on Wednesday stated that for the implementation of 10% EWS reservation, the Central government has to compensate for the reservation impact on other category seats. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow.
New Indian Express
7 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Himachal Pradesh to reintroduce lotteries after two decade to boost revenue amid rising debt
CHANDIGARH: Facing a mounting debt burden that has crossed Rs 1 lakh crore, the Himachal Pradesh government is exploring new avenues for revenue generation. In a key move, the state cabinet has decided to lift the two-decade-old ban on lotteries, with an estimated annual revenue potential of Rs 50–100 crore. The decision comes amid declining central allocations and the discontinuation of GST compensation, which have further strained the state's finances. The government hopes that restarting lottery operations will help bridge the fiscal gap without putting an additional burden on taxpayers. In 1999, the then Himachal Pradesh CM Prem Kumar Dhumal had banned the sale of all types of lotteries in the state, under Sections 7, 8 and 9 of the Lotteries (Regulation) Act, 1998 and made its violation punishable under Lotteries (Regulation) Act. In a bid to shore up revenue amid mounting debt, the Himachal Pradesh cabinet has approved the revival of state-run lotteries, a practice banned over two decades ago. The decision follows a recommendation by the Resource Mobilisation Committee headed by Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri. The finance department made a detailed presentation before the cabinet, highlighting the potential of lotteries as a significant revenue source. Citing examples from other states, officials noted that Kerala earns over Rs 13,582 crore annually through lotteries, Punjab around Rs 235 crore, and the hill state of Sikkim nearly Rs 30 crore. Industry Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan said many states—including Kerala, Goa, Maharashtra, Punjab, West Bengal, and several northeastern states—currently operate lotteries successfully. 'There is no nationwide ban on lotteries. If regulated properly, Himachal too stands to benefit,' he said. Sources said the state government is likely to introduce specific legislation in the upcoming monsoon session of the assembly, starting August 18, to operationalise the scheme. However, the move has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition. Former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur called the decision regressive and harmful. 'By legalising lotteries, the government is trying to bring back a dark era when many families were ruined—people committed suicides, and their homes were auctioned. The BJP strongly condemns this policy,' he said.
New Indian Express
8 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Key changes in banking rules to take effect from August 1
NEW DELHI: Several key provisions of the Banking Laws (Amendment) Act, 2025 will come into force from today, following a notification issued by the Ministry of Finance. The legislation, passed earlier this year and notified on April 15, introduces sweeping reforms to strengthen governance in banks, enhance audit quality in public sector banks (PSBs), align cooperative banks with constitutional norms, and safeguard the interests of depositors. Major Reforms Under the Act Redefined 'Substantial Interest': The threshold for 'substantial interest' has been significantly revised—from ₹5 lakh to ₹2 crore—to reflect current economic realities. The previous limit was unchanged since 1968. Under the Banking Regulation Act, substantial interest in a company refers to holding shares of over Rs 5 lakh rupees or 10% of the paid-up capital of the company, whichever is less. This may be held by an individual, his spouse, or minor child, either individually or collectively. The Act amends this to increase the threshold to two crore rupees Director Tenure in Cooperative Banks: In alignment with the 97th Constitutional Amendment, the maximum tenure for directors in cooperative banks (excluding the chairperson and whole-time directors) has been increased from 8 years to 10 years, thereby improving governance continuity. Audit Standards and Remuneration in PSBs: Public sector banks will now be empowered to pay remuneration to statutory auditors, a move expected to attract and retain high-quality audit professionals. This provision is aimed at enhancing audit quality and oversight standards in government-owned banks. Unclaimed Assets Transfer to IEPF: PSBs will now be allowed to transfer unclaimed shares, interest, and bond redemption amounts to the Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF), aligning them with provisions already applicable to companies under the Companies Act. According to the government, these changes mark a significant regulatory shift intended to bolster accountability, professional oversight, and depositor protection across the Indian banking system. 'The implementation of these provisions marks a significant step towards strengthening the legal, regulatory, and governance framework of the Indian Banking Sector,' the government said in a statement. Further provisions of the Act may be notified in phases, as the law allows different sections to come into force on different dates.
