Governor returns town planning Bill

Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj, often at odds with the BJP government, has returned a bill seeking to regularise unauthorised constructions built on revenue lands.

Law minister Suresh Kumar told reporters here today that the governor had returned the Karnataka Town and Country Planning and Certain Other Laws (Amendment), Bill 2010. He said he would discuss the issue with Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and chairman of the Cabinet sub-committee and transport and home minister R Ashok, who had recommended regularisation, to decide the future course of action.

Official sources said the governor’s action was based on a state high court verdict last year, which disapproved of regularisation of illegal constructions. Bhardwaj had recently declined consent to the state’s bill on banning cow slaughter and referred it to the President for assent, inviting anger of the ruling party which has vowed not to rest till the ban was implemented.

Ever since occupying the gubernatorial post, Bhardwaj, a former Union Law Minster, has been openly critical of the BJP government on various issues, including illegal mining, and law and order, bringing him and the ruling party on a collision path on many occasions.