Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], September 4 (ANI): The Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka on Thursday said the Congress government’s decision to withdraw the Park Amendment Bill allowing five per cent of park land to be used for infrastructure was another victory for the BJP’s struggle, and said the party would continue to oppose any attempt to use park land in the future.
Speaking at a press conference, Ashoka said the BJP had announced the “Save Parks, Save Bengaluru” campaign and that the state Congress government had now withdrawn the Bill permitting five per cent of park land to be used for infrastructure.
He said this had given the BJP two victories in a single month and described the government as a “short-term Chief Minister” and a “U-turn government”. He said that earlier, B Nagendra, who was involved in the Valmiki Development Corporation scam, had been made to resign, and now the government, which had attempted to commercialise parks, had withdrawn the Bill in the face of the BJP’s warning and agitation.
“There is no need to discuss this issue in the Assembly session. We will not allow park land to be encroached upon. This is a victory for people who love Bengaluru and want to preserve the Garden City,” he said.
Ashoka questioned who was advising the Chief Minister, who, he alleged, keeps taking U-turns on every issue.
“Bengaluru has 1,523 parks. Lalbagh has an area of 240 acres, so five per cent would amount to 12 acres. Cubbon Park has an area of 192 acres, so five per cent would amount to 10 acres,” he said.
Ashoka said the vision of those who created Lalbagh was to make Bengaluru a garden city and that the administrators of that era had the wisdom to preserve greenery. “But the present Chief Minister does not see greenery; he sees only real estate,” he criticised.
He said the move would have been disastrous for future generations and claimed that the five per cent land-use provision could eventually have become 10 per cent. Ashoka said the Parks Conservation Act enacted in 1975 was intended to increase green cover and ensure that more than 30 per cent of the state remains green.
He said that as green cover decreases, flooding in the city has increased, with areas such as HSR Layout, Jayanagar and Hebbal being flooded during rains.
“If the tunnel-road project is implemented, the entire city will be at risk of flooding. The government is proceeding with the tunnel-road project without desilting stormwater drains or improving the drainage system. As a result, roads will turn into storage tanks,” he said.
Ashoka said Chief Minister DK Shivakumar should have announced that he would increase the number of parks. Instead, he alleged, parks and trees were being destroyed.
“The people of Bengaluru are angry about this. When we announced the agitation, we received strong public support,” he said.
He said all MLAs and former corporators were preparing to hold protests in parks and that the BJP had set a target of collecting five lakh signatures. He added that yoga clubs and laughter clubs had also been contacted and claimed that the campaign would have become a major movement.
“Fearing the consequences, the government withdrew the Bill. The government should not bring this Bill back again in the future,” he said.
Ashoka said issues such as drought relief, NICE toll, pending Gruha Lakshmi payments and the Kasturirangan Report needed to be discussed and demanded that, instead of a three-day session, a seven-day Assembly session should be held.
“All these issues require detailed discussion,” he said. He alleged that the Congress government had still not submitted a report to the Union Government seeking drought relief.
“There is no need merely to write letters to the Centre. Farmers are already protesting across the state,” he said.
Ashoka criticised Chief Minister DK Shivakumar for visiting villages and sitting in fields for photo sessions and said the government should instead provide relief and ensure that farmers do not have to protest.
Ashoka claimed that around 2,500 farmers had died by suicide, putting Karnataka in second place in the country. He also referred to a former soldier who, he said, attempted suicide demanding agricultural land. He said the former soldier was taken into police custody and was now in the ICU.
“However, Minister G Parameshwara is still saying that he does not know about the matter and that he will obtain a report,” he said.
Ashoka said that whenever land is involved, it comes under the jurisdiction of the Revenue Department, and alleged that no answer had been given on the matter yet.
“It is unacceptable to treat a soldier who inhumanely fought in the Kargil War,” he said.
Ashoka also said the media had exposed corruption in the Social Welfare Department and that the BJP would fight on the issue.
He said that just as Health Minister UT Khader conducts inspections of food in hotels, he should also conduct food inspections in hostels.
“The government must shed light on this issue. Instead, he is visiting only hotels. He should not focus only on five-star establishments but also pay attention to poor students,” he demanded. (ANI)
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