Date:20/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/20/stories/2008112053680400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Suvarna Vikas Soudha in Belgaum gets Cabinet nod

Special Correspondent

It will come up at Halaga-Bastwad on Pune-Bangalore Express Highway

A high-level committee visited the area recently
The structure will come up on 108 acres of land

BANGALORE: The State Cabinet has approved a proposal to construct the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha at Halaga-Bastwad on the Pune-Bangalore Express Highway in Belgaum district.

A high-level committee, headed by Speaker Jagadish Shettar, recently visited the district and made a recommendation to the Government to this effect.

Speaking to presspersons after a Cabinet meeting here on Wednesday, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Shobha Karandlaje said the building would come up on 108 acres. Land would be acquired from 143 farmers. The Government would give suitable compensation to the land-losers.

However, some farmers were refusing to part with their land.

Compensation

The Cabinet decided to give compensation of Rs. 5 lakh to the family of constable Guurprasad, who was killed in an encounter with naxalites near Sringeri in Chikmagalur district on Wednesday. A job would be given to a family member of the constable, the Minister said.

Ms. Karandlaje said the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) had sought stamp and registration concession for acquisition of 75 acres for the Metro Rail project.

The Government had already given 50 per cent concession and it was decided to give another 50 per cent concession to BMRCL in the form grants by the Urban Development Department, she said.

A bill would be introduced for punishing those who damaged public health institutions and assaulted doctors of government hospitals during strike. Public properties worth Rs. 80 lakh had been damaged in the recent strike called doctors in Bangalore, she said.

A decision was made to take over the pre-university college, which was run by the Kanakapura Town Municipal Council, at Kanakapura. Due to resource constraints, the TMC was finding it difficult to run the college, the Minister added.

The Cabinet decided to go by the Karnataka High Court order relating to payment of gratuity and other pensionary benefits to High Court judges.

The High Court had last year asked the Government not to discriminate between judges elevated from the Bar (advocate fraternity) and the Bench (judiciary) in this matter.