Draft development plan central for Bengaluru, says Karnataka High Court

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Monday orally observed that Development Plan is the city's main focus and all other plans should be made in alignment with it.

A division bench headed by acting chief justice H G Ramesh was hearing a petition filed by the Citizen Action Forum on the constitution of Metropolitan Planning Committee (MPC).

The court said that it needs to understand how many planning authorities currently exist in the Bangalore Metropolitan Area and how plans prepared by them can be consolidated under one umbrella: The Draft Development Plan.

Earlier, when the court inquired into the extent of the Bangalore Metropolitan Area, the petitioners submitted that, as per the Notification dated September 18, 2013 issued by the Governor, the extent of the area to be planned by the Bangalore Metropolitan Planning Committee (BMPC) is the area under the jurisdiction of BDA under the BDA Act. and the area under the BBMP. The latter is described in the Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act. The case stands adjourned for further hearing.

RTE exemption denied
The HC refused to grant exemption from implementation of the RTE Act as sought by The Foundation School on the basis that the school has not obtained minority status.

The petitioner institution had sought for exemption from admitting 25% RTE quota students despite not being granted a minority institution status. The court has also directed the petitioner to admit the students forwarded by the state under the RTE quota.