Karnataka: Law to curb illegal layouts on the anvil

Bengaluru: The state government plans to introduce a legislation to prevent unauthorised layouts from cropping up in Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) like town and city municipalities.

Speaking to reporters here on Friday, Urban Development Minister Eshwar Khandre said  his ministry was already consulting experts on the matter and the draft bill would be placed before the Cabinet for its consent. Besides preventing unauthorised layouts, the government was also considering regularising those that had already been formed, he added

Noting that a recent study had found that urban migration had gone up from 20 per cent to 38 per cent and most ULBs were struggling to provide amenities like drinking water as a result, he said illegal layouts were only compounding the problem.

Meanwhile, a delegation from Bidar led by Mr Khandre and parliamentarian, Bhagawan Khuba called upon Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and submitted a memorandum to him for hastening the Bidar airport project, setting up of a fertiliser factory, a Central Institute of Plastic Technology and an IT Park in the district.

The leaders pointed out that 150 acres had been earmarked for the fertiliser factory and it only needed the Union government’s permission to take off.  The land for the IT Park too was available, they said.