BBMP gets 3 months to shift temple at Okalipuram

BENGALURU: The high court on Thursday granted three months to the BBMP to shift Shanimahadeva temple at Okalipuram Junction near the Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna (city) railway station.

A division bench headed by acting Chief Justice L Narayana Swamy passed the order while disposing of a PIL which sought demolition of the temple.

Earlier, BBMP counsel told the court that discussions are under way to convince the temple authorities and the public to shift the structure to a place next to a Ganesha temple, which is close by.

The court was told that the temple is a hindrance to the ongoing grade separator work, especially completion of road no 4.

According to railways, the land belongs to them and has been handed over to the BBMP for the project, in exchange of 3 acres near Binny Mills.

In his PIL, KS Subramanyan, a resident of Mathikere, claimed that the temple is an unauthorized structure put up on the railway property and if it is not removed, it will affect traffic movement.

Plea seeks disbursement of crop loss aid

The high court on Thursday ordered notice to the state and central governments in a PIL seeking directions for proper implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bhima Yojana (PMFBY) and disbursement of compensation for crop loss to farmers.

Citing the example of Shahapur taluk in Yadgir district, Akhand Karnataka Raitha Sangha, the petitioner association, claimed that due to severe drought, 36 farmers committed suicide in 2016-17, 40 in 2017-18 and 22 in 2018-19. The NCRB data showed 2,079 farmers ended their lives in 2016. Farmers in Shahapur are in precarious condition and the crop loss compensation under PMFBY scheme has not reached farmers due to the apathy of the government, it stated.