From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Apr 20: The Siddaramaiah Ministry has decided to institute an inquiry against the Protocol Officer of Kempe Gowda International Airport Ltd (KGIAL) for providing inflated bills for serving refreshments to VVIPs arriving and departing from the Bengaluru Airport.
The officials of the Protocol, Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) posted at the airport were under the scanner for inflating the food and beverage bills raised in the name of VIPs passing through the airport.
Union Law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda had flagged the issue and asked the State Government to investigate the matter.
The State Cabinet, which met under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, has asked the DPAR to conduct the probe.
Following inflated bills, the State Cabinet has decided against appointing V A ARamachandra Rao, Under Secretary, DPAR (Protocol-KGIAL) on contract basis after his superannuation from the post.
The State Cabinet has also decided to settle dues to 122 employees of New Government Electrical Factory (NGEF), Bengaluru.
The amount required for final settlement is Rs 21.36 crore, according to Karnataka’s Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra.
Rainwater Harvesting Mandatory for All Sites
Briefing reporters after the State Cabinet Meeting, the minister said the severe shortage of water owing to drought and depletion in the groundwater level, the Karnataka government has made rainwater harvesting mandatory for all categories of building/housing sites in Bengaluru City.
The State Cabinet has decided to amend the Section 72-A of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Act, 1964, for adopting rain water harvesting structures in all category of building/housing sites.
Earlier, rain water structures were made mandatory only for 30x40 and 60x40 sq ft housing and building sites.
The proposed amendment would make it mandatory for all those who construct houses and develop buildings on 20x30 sq.ft. sites also.
Owners of existing buildings who have failed to install a rainwater harvesting structure would be penalised, Jayachandra said.