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The Hindu
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Scientifically assess crop cultivation and yield to determine required number of procurement centres, Karnataka High Court directs govt.
Taking note of the fact that the traditional harvest seasons have changed owing to climatic variations, the High Court of Karnataka has directed the State government to conduct a scientific study in every district to assess the nature of crops cultivated and estimated quantity of foodgrains likely to be brought by farmers to procurement centres, prior to determining the number and location of such centres. Petition of farmers A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice N.V. Anjaria (as he then was) and Justice K.V. Aravind issued the directions while disposing of a PIL petition filed by Raitha Sena Karnataka of Navalgund taluk in Dharwad district. Though the Bench did not accept the petitioner's request for keeping open the procurement centres on a permanent basis on all the 365 days of the year, it found it necessary to direct the government to open additional centres and beyond the traditional harvest seasons as both the Centre and State government had admitted that there has been a considerable change in traditional harvest seasons due to geographical and climatic changes. If the procurement centres are found to be insufficient when procurement of agricultural produce at Minimum Support Price (MSP) commences, the Bench said, the Deputy Commissioner of the district concerned should ensure that adequate additional centres are established and made operational within the procurement period to meet the demand. The number of required procurement centres has to be determined by the district MSP task force, chaired by the Deputy Commissioner of the respective district, the Bench said. Beyond traditional season In view of the fact that crop harvesting now extends beyond the traditional harvesting seasons, and in order to ensure that farmers are adequately remunerated through the MSP mechanism and are not compelled to resort to distress sale through middlemen, the State government should establish at least one procurement centre in each taluk for a period of two months beyond the procurement period fixed by the Government of India, the Bench said. However, the Bench made it clear that depending on the geographical conditions and the quantity of foodgrains produced in a particular region, the State government will have the discretion to keep procurement centres open beyond the period prescribed in this order, as may be necessary to ensure that the objectives of the MSP scheme are effectively achieved.
The Hindu
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Karnataka High Court issues series of directions to government for regular maintenance of drinking water facilities across State
The High Court of Karnataka has issued a series of directions to the State government for proper maintenance of drinking water infrastructure, including storage tanks, pipelines, and reverse osmosis (RO) plants, while asking it [the government] to come out with a comprehensive standard operating procedure (SOP) by incorporating its directions. A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice N.V. Anjaria (as he then was) and Justice K.V. Aravind issued the directions while disposing of a PIL petition filed by Ramesh Naik L., a Tumakuru-based advocate. Though the petitioner had brought to the notice of the court the issue of contaminated drinking water supplied in Tumakuru district, the Bench found it necessary to expand the scope for the entire State, as similar failures and deficiencies in the supply of pure drinking water persist across Karnataka. Even if the infrastructure is in place, the failure to maintain it, thereby depriving individuals of access to pure drinking water, amounts to a failure on the part of the State to discharge its constitutional obligations as the State has a fundamental duty to supply drinking water fit for human consumption, the Bench said. Maintain records Stating that water treatment/purification plants, and underground and overhead storage tanks should be as per the standard scientific norms, the Bench said that the government should maintain detailed records of scheduled maintenance activities and nature of maintenance, and systematically preserve these records for production before the court as and when necessary. Pointing out that dereliction of duty by authorities in maintaining drinking water pipelines is nothing short of a criminal act of endangering public health, the Bench said the government should formulate a comprehensive road map for inspection, maintenance, and replacement of pipes in a periodic and scientific manner and should preserve records of such inspections. RO plants As RO plants have been installed in areas where source of drinking water is borewells, the Bench directed the government to issue comprehensive guidelines prescribing the intervals at which maintenance of RO plants should be conducted, as they require sophisticated maintenance, including cleaning and replacement of filters. While directing the authorities to preserve records of maintenance of RO plants, the Bench said that the total amount collected from RO plants, and expenditure incurred for maintenance, replacement of filters and other components should be systematically recorded and maintained as water through RO plants are dispensed on payment of nominal amount by users. Meanwhile, the Bench directed the government to make all non-functional RO plants across the in working condition within one month. The panchayat development officers in rural areas and a designated officer of local bodies in urban areas should witness maintenance of ROs along with an elected representative of panchayat or local body in rural areas and with a headmaster of nearby government schools in urban areas, the court said, while making it clear that deputy commissioners of the respective districts would be held accountable for implementation of these directions.
The Hindu
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Karnataka High Court imposes additional rider to allow litigants to argue their cases in person without assistance of advocate
Pointing out that indisciplined and irrelevant pleadings are made by many litigants, who argue their cases in the court in person without a lawyer, the High Court of Karnataka has directed its statutory panel not to grant permission to such litigants, who are not able to plead and draft their pleadings properly in the petitions. A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice N.V. Anjaria and Justice K.V. Aravind, issued the direction while dismissing a PIL petition filed in 2022 by 69-year-old Mohamed Ikbal of Bengaluru. The petitioner, who is an advocate, social worker, and also administrator of a masjid, had filed and argued in person his plea related to alleged encroachment of a Muslim burial ground situated at Rudrapatna of Arkalgud taluk in Hassan district. The Bench said that the petition contains wayward pleadings made by the 'party-in-person' [a person, who intends to plead, appear and argue his or her own case before the High Court, not through an advocate] while pointing out that the pleadings contain long statements and facts, which are extra in nature not properly related to the controversy, and moreover, the pleadings were made cumbersome to cull out the crux of the issue. 'This phenomenon of indisciplined, irrelevant, unnecessary, and long unrelated pleadings which are even otherwise, hardly up to the mark are seen in common whenever party-in-person appears either as petitioner or respondent and conducts the matter,' the Bench noted. Therefore, the Bench said, it is desirable that while assessing the competency to appear as party-in-person by the committee set up under the High Court of Karnataka (Conduct of Proceedings by Party-In-Person) Rules, 2018 and before issuing Form-16 certifying party-in-person to be competent to appear before the court, their capacity to plead and draft the case properly as per the law of pleadings, should also be applied as one of the criteria. 'The party-in-persons, who are not able to plead properly in their petition and draft their pleadings should not be granted the certificate to argue in the court in-person,' the Bench ordered. The assessing of the capacity to plead and draft the case properly would be a criteria in addition to other conditions, whether a party-in-person would be able to give necessary assistance to the court for disposal of the matter, which is already laid down in the 2018 Rules. However, the Rules exempt the need for securing certificate from the committee in cases of applications for bail, temporary/transit bail, parole, furlough and habeas corpus petitions. Apart from this exemption, the Benches have the discretion to allow a party to any proceedings to appear in-person sans obtaining certificate as per the Rules.
The Hindu
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Karnataka High Court notice to State and Centre on plea against proposed Disneyland-type amusement park project near KRS
The High Court of Karnataka has ordered issue of notice to the Centre and the State governments on a PIL petition questioning the legality of a proposal to develop a Disneyland-type amusement park near the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) in Mandya district at an estimated cost of ₹2,663 crore. A vacation Division Bench, comprising Justice B.M. Shyam Prasad and Justice K.V. Aravind, passed the order on the petition filed by K. Boraiah and four other agriculturists from Krishnaraja Sagar of Srirangapatna taluk in Mandya district. The Bench has also ordered issue of notice to the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) and other authorities. The petitioners have also questioned a tender issued on May 13, 2025, inviting proposals from private entities to develop the project under the public-private partnership model and to maintain it for 30 years. Purpose of dam The State government, ignoring the very object and purpose of construction of the KRS dam for irrigation, has ventured into a scheme to establish the amusement park for commercial exploitation of potential fertile agricultural lands at the cost of the taxpayer and detrimental to the interest of the farming community and agricultural activities, advocate M. Shivaprakash argued on behalf of the petitioners. The petitioners have also complained that Cauvery Neeravari Nigama Limited, which is implementing the project under the title 'development and operation/maintenance of proposed upgradation of Cauvery Brindavan Garden under KRS Dam', has not sought permission from NDSA. No public notice was issued seeking objections and suggestions from the public on the proposed amusement park project, even though it impacts the environment and dam safety, it has been complained in the petition. Establishing commercial activity like an amusement park will attract 10,000 to 20,000 visitors everyday and the movement of vehicles would result in pollution causing irreparable damage to the agricultural land and ecosystem of the protected areas of the around 120-year-old dam, the petitioners have claimed. Demand of farmers The petitioners have alleged that the government is prepared to spend ₹2,663 crore public money for the park, while ignoring the decades-long demand of farmers of the catchment and river basin areas to upgrade the water canals and remove silt from the tanks to store water. The petitioners have also pointed out that gram panchayats have already opposed the amusement park project when it was initially proposed back in 2018.
The Hindu
26-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
‘Janivara' issue: Karnataka High Court issues notice to State govt., KEA
The High Court of Karnataka on Saturday ordered issue of notice to the State government and the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) on a PIL petition questioning the actions of officials in compelling some students to remove their 'janivara' ('sacred threads') before allowing them to enter the examination hall to write the Common Entrance Test (CET)-2025 held on April 17. A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice N.V. Anjaria and Justice K.V. Aravind, passed the order on the petition filed by the Akhila Karnataka Brahmana Mahasabha, Bengaluru. 'If what is stated is found to be correct, the allegations made in the petition are prone to assume serious dimensions about the violation of cultural-cum-religious rights of the students,' the Bench observed while taking note of the allegations that some students were forced to remove their 'sacred threads' which were worn by the students as part of their ancient religious and cultural practices. Senior advocate Sriranga S., appearing along with advocates Sumana Naganand and Ashwini N. Ravindra, contended that incidents of compelling students to remove 'janivara' occurred particularly at three centres in Shivamogga, Dharwad, and Bidar districts. A first information report was registered with the police in Sagar town of Shivamogga district in connection with one such incident on April 21, Mr. Sriranga pointed out. Meanwhile, it was pointed out in the petition that people belonging Brahmin, Kshatriya, and Vaishya communities wore 'janivara' as part of their religious practices. The petitioner also sought direction to the State government to formulate guidelines for frisking candidates by officials at the time of entering examination centres and to initiate stringent action against officials who prevented students from entering examination halls to write CET. When the senior advocate sought a direction to the State government and the KEA to conduct re-examination for those who were victims of such illegal act of forcing removal of their 'janivara,' the Bench said that the petitioner would have to substantiate allegations by providing necessary materials and information like affected students, etc., as no student was before the court. However, the Bench said that 'what weighs with the court is the averment made in the petition that those students who refused to remove 'janivara' were not permitted to enter the examination hall and deprived of appearing for the examination.'
