Unauthorized hoardings: HC notice to govt, BBMP on plea seeking CBI probe

BENGALURU: A vacation division bench of the Karnataka high court comprising Justices B Manohar and B Veerappa on Tuesday ordered notice to the state government and BBMP over a PIL seeking a CBI probe into huge revenue losses suffered from unauthorized hoardings in Bengaluru.
The PIL was filed by Sai Dutta, a social activist who claimed that section 137 of the KMC Act enables the BBMP to take appropriate action but that the civic body failed to take action.The PIL added that circulars are kept in cold storage resulting in tremendous loss of revenue.
According to the petitioner, BBMP collects nearly Rs 30-35 crore per year from 198 wards as advertisement revenue, which comes to only Rs 15 lakh per ward."According to a report submitted by an assistant commissioner of the BBMP, a whopping revenue loss of Rs 2,0000 crore occurs because of non-collection of advertisement fee from hoardings. This is all due to connivance with BBMP officials and politicians," he stated. "If the advertisement tax is collected properly, there is no need to levy property tax as the yield by way of property tax is only Rs 1,500 crore," he further claimed.
SIT moves HC on bail to Ashwin
The special investigation team (SIT) constituted by the state government has moved the Karnataka high court challenging the grant of anticipatory bail to Ashwin Y, son of former Lokayukta Justice Y Bhaskar Rao and two others (Syed Riaz and Ashok Kumar), accused in one of the cases of corruptionextortion involving the office of Lokayukta. Vacation judge Justice G Narendar has ordered notice to respondents and adjourned the hearing.
Plea against having IIT in Dharwad
A vacation division bench headed by Justice B Manohar on Tuesday directed for posting before a regular bench a PIL challenging granting of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) to Dharwad city. The PIL is filed by Citizens Action Forum to Raichur and two other local organizations.
The petitioners have claimed that as per recommendations of Dr D M Nanjundappa committee on regional imbalance, the IIT was recommended for Raichur, Hubballi-Dharwad was recommended an IIM and a central university for Kalaburagi. In October 2012, the state cabinet had decided on the same and the then chief minister conveyed the same to the prime minister in December 2012.However, the change of guard and political influence exerted by the local MP and state BJP president led to the granting of IIT to Dharwad, the plea said.