State to challenge HC stay on public event curbs
The state cabinet on Thursday decided to file an appeal against the high court’s stay on the government order mandating prior approval for public events in government-owned spaces
The state cabinet on Thursday decided to file an appeal against the high court’s stay on the government order mandating prior approval for public events in government-owned spaces, a senior minister said.
According to law and parliamentary affairs minister HK Patil, the decison was taken after intensive discussion during the cabinet meeting earlier in the day.
“Speaking about the high court’s stay on the order banning organisations from holding activities in public places, the cabinet has decided to file an appeal to lift the stay order,” he said, during the post-meet press briefing
He added the meeting also covered the internal reservations, soon to be implemented in the state.
“It was suggested that the chief minister, along with the social welfare minister, the law department and the secretaries, discuss internal reservation and, if possible, draft a bill to present it in the cabinet meeting. Since the meeting could not be held yesterday, there was no discussion on this today,” he said.
The minister also listed out other major administrative approvals sanctioned at the meeting— these include the construction of 2,200 new classrooms in government schools across the state at a total cost of ₹360 crore, which was assigned to the public works department. The construction of classrooms in the Belagavi and Kalaburagi divisions will be managed by the department, which will be allowed to call tenders at the zonal level, said Patil.
In Mysuru and Bengaluru divisions, the Project Road Asset Management Centre (PRAMC) of the Public Works Department will oversee the work through centralised tenders, he said, adding that at the district level, the chief executive officer of the Zilla Panchayat and the chief deputy director (Administration) will supervise the construction activities.
The minister announced that the cabinet also approved the Karnataka Strengthening Coastal Resilience and Economy (K-SHORE) project aimed at improving the coastal ecosystem and boosting local livelihoods. An administrative approval of ₹20.47 crore was granted to hire a technical and management consultant (TAMC) for the project, he said, adding that the cabinet also approved post-facto the issuance of a request for proposal through the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (KTPP) Act on November 22, 2024, and authorised the Karnataka Eco Restoration Society (KERS) to complete the agreement process and sign the contract with the selected bidder. The cabinet also authorised the signing of a project agreement with the World Bank, he said.
The cabinet also approved the development of four existing ports — Karwar, Old Mangaluru (Bengre side), Old Mangaluru (city side), and Malpe — under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, said Patil. The plan will operate under a “Repair, Operate, Maintain, and Transfer” (ROMT) framework to enhance efficiency and capacity while boosting local employment and increasing the annual revenue of the Karnataka Maritime Board, he added. Officials said the projects are expected to contribute to both economic growth and improved coastal resilience.
Another major approval was granted to the Mandya District Congress Committee for the construction of a Congress Bhavan, said Patil. The cabinet approved the allotment of 1,457.8 square metres of land in Vivekananda Layout under the Mandya Urban Development Authority for the project, he added.
For Kolar district, the cabinet approved the allotment of 9 acres and 38 guntas of land in Arabhikottanuru village to the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) for setting up a Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) plant, announced Patil. The land, owned by the Kolar City Municipal Council, will be leased for 25 years at a nominal rate for limited use, he said, adding that the plant will process around 150 tonnes of organic waste collected daily from local bodies in Kolar and the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA).
