Bills, aimed at increasing the
quantum of property tax as a penalty on unauthorised construction of buildings in the city and giving voters the opportunity to reject candidates in civic polls through NOTA option, were passed by the Karnataka assembly on Friday.
The Karnataka Municipal Corporations (Amendment) Bill, 2020 was passed.
It would further amend the Act of 1976 to control unauthorised constructions in the jurisdiction of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike by collecting property tax and penalty equal to property tax on buildings constructed without permission or in violation of building byelaws.
Once the Bill becomes the Act, it would also levy fees and annual track rent on the cable including optional fiber cables laid by the BBMP.
Moving the Bill for the consideration of the House on behalf of the Chief Minister, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said other local bodies in the state can levy penalty on floor area or deviation constructed in excess of the permitted area or in violation of the permission granted, "but BBMP didn't have those powers, so we are bringing this amendment".
"For example, if someone constructs 600 sq ft instead of 500 sq ft that was permittedwe are giving BBMP the authority to penalise such construction; the violator will have to pay two times the property tax," he said.
The Minister said, "Also, so far while installing optical fibers what fees need to be fixed was not clear, the Act so far provisioned for levying fees or annual track rent. Now through this amendment we have said levying fees and annual track rent, so that after laying fibres every year rent should be paid for maintenance and other things."
Responding to questions raised by MLAs, Law Minister J C Madhuswamy made it clear that the bill is not aimed at regularising unauthorised construction of buildings, and levying penalty would not be a permanent feature, it would be until demolition or Corporation takes action.
The Ministers also said it would increase revenue for the BBMP.
The assembly also passed the Karnataka Municipalities and Certain Other Law (Amendment) Bill, 2020 to amend the Karnataka Municipalities Act and Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, aimed at giving option to the voters in the ballot papers and electronic voting machine regarding the none of the above (NOTA) candidates contesting the election.
The Karnataka State Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2020, aimed at bifurcating the Gulbarga University and to establish the Raichur University with headquarters at Raichur, having territorial jurisdiction over the district of Raichur and Yadgir districts, was also passed.
Also passed was the Karnataka Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) (Amendment) Bill, 2020, to extend the applicability of provisions of the Act to any other area falling within municipal corporation area or areas falling under the BDA or any other urban development authority constituted under the relevant law.
The government also introduced the Karnataka Repealing of Certain Enactments and Regional Law Bill, 2020, in the assembly.
The Karnataka Law Commission in its 53rd report has proposed to repeal 21 Acts relating to Belagavi area, one relating to Kodagu, 16 relating to Kalburgi, 15 relating to Mangaluru and Kollegala areas and seven acts relating to Mysuru area which have lost their significance, the bill said.
Further, the bill considered it necessary to repeal 96 amendment acts from the year 2016 to 19 and also laws which are redundant as suggested by the government of India, in particular- Sarais Act, 1867, the Laws Local Extent Act, 1874 and Dekkhan Agriculturists Relief Act, 1879, it added.
The Karnataka Regulation of Stone Crushers (Amendment) Bill, 2020 was also introduced in the assembly.
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