Lake Development Authority Bill will be tabled in next session, says minister

The state government will table the Lake Development Authority Bill in the next session of the Assembly.

Karnataka Urban Development Minister Suresh Kumar, who inspected various development works taken up in twin cities of Dharwad and Hubli said here at the weekend that the establishment of the authority was felt necessary to monitor the lake development works for which the government was sanctioning a huge amount of money. “The government is doling out crores of rupees for the development of parks and lakes in the state. It is necessary to monitor the works and enhance infrastructure,” he said. A panel of experts had been formed and it had given its report regarding the formation of the authority and the bill will be placed before the house for it to be tabled during the next session of the Assembly, Sureshkumar said.

Referring to the works taken up in the twin cities, he stated that the tank development works in Dharwad were progressing satisfactorily. Of the seven corporations, the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) is executing the works in a scientific manner, lauded Sureshkumar.

The work at Waddinakere at Channabasaveshwar Nagar is in the final stages. The local corporator has been asked to set up a park in the tank premises and the department has given the green signal for it. Officials have been directed to submit the action plan and once it gets the approval, the required funds would be disbursed, he added.

He said, the bio-park coming up in the premises of the Kelgeri tank is a role model for other corporations. As there is lot of space in the park, an acupressure walking path will be constructed . Moreover, besides growing flowering plants, there is a provision to grow medicinal herbs.

Suresh Kumar asked the Dharwad Deputy Commissioner Darpan Jain to develop a separate park for the mentally challenged children on the lines of the one in Bangalore.

Replying to a question the minister said tree parks would come up at two places in twin cities. The department has already identified lands at Rayapur and Navalur and the tree parks would come up in 100 acre land, he noted.

When his attention was drawn towards renovation of swimming pool, he said, all efforts would be made to sanction Rs 3 crore to renovate the swimming pools in the twin cities which have gone defunct.