Karnataka Urban Development department to take steps to clear legacy waste in State

Karnataka Urban Development Minister B S Suresha on Friday informed the Assembly that his department would take steps to clear legacy waste in various cities of the state.

He was responding to a question by Tumkur City BJP MLA G B Jyothi Ganesh during the Question Hour.

Sugar Minister Shivanand Patil, who intervened, pointed out that legacy waste has been lying in his constituency Basavana Bagewadi for 11 years and there are no takers for it at the present rates of Rs 700-900 per ton.

He told Suresha that rates have to be uniform and there can’t be one rate for Bengaluru and another elsewhere, for which the latter said he would discuss the issue with the finance department.

Suresha also highlighted that his department is spending Rs 2,058 crore under phase two of the ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’.

Also during the Question Hour, Mines & Geology Minister S S Mallikarjun said the demand for natural sand has declined in big cities after the introduction of manufactured sand or M-Sand.

He was replying to questions raised by Mangalore City (South) BJP MLA D Vedavyas Kamath, who argued that M-Sand is unfit for construction of homes and that it can be used to make roads.

Kamath, however, noted that sufficient quantities of M-Sand are being used in places like Bengaluru.

Meanwhile, the government will decide in two months on implementing a Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) like system of issuing ‘A’ and ‘B’ ‘khatas’ (property ownership certificate) to properties under other urban local bodies in the state, Municipalities Minister Rahim Khan said.

“A Cabinet sub-committee has been constituted to study this. A decision is expected in two months,” he said while replying to a question by Sirsi Congress MLA Bhimanna T Naik.