From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Mar 1: The world ''Chancellor" is sought to be replaced by ''Visitor" in the National Law School of India (Amendment) Bill, 2011, which was tabled in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.

The State Government has justified the changes by stating that it was in accordance with the suggestion by the Chief Justice of India in his letter seeking the substitution of the word “chancellor" with the word “visitor" as it stood prior to the amendment by the Karnataka Act 15 of 2004.

The Chief Justice of India or his nominee, who should be a sitting judge of the Supreme Court, should be the “visitor," according to the Bill.

Groundwater Authority being set up

Meanwhile, in another legislative bill as tabled in the Assembly, the State Government has proposed to establish the Karnataka Groundwater Authority to regulate exploitation of groundwater, both in rural and urban areas.

The Karnataka Ground Water (Regulation and Control of Development and Management Bill, 2011, which was tabled in the Legislative Assembly, by Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister S Suresh Kumar, provides for establishing the Goundwater Authority.

The Bill envisages controlling of indiscriminatory exploitation of groundwater especially in the notified areas of the State. It also provides for setting up a Karnataka Groundwater Authority Fund.

It proposed specification of the minimum distance between borewells dug for the purpose of irrigation, declaration by notification any areas as drought hit areas; and certain other incidental provisions.

The secretary to Water Resources and Minor Irrigation Department would be the chairman of the authority and commissioner or director of Mines and Geology would be the member-secretary.

The Authority will have members from other departments as well. The authority would meet once in three months.

Prior permission of Authority must

The authority would not permit extraction of water for water intensive crops such as paddy, sugarcane in notified areas. It would give priority for those who adopt sprinkler and drip irrigation system.

Under the proposed legislation, no household or firm will be allowed to use groundwater without the permission of the authority. Permission of the authority has to be obtained to dig a well or drill a borewell in the notified areas.

The authority will be empowered to cut power supply and acquire a well or borewell if its owner fails to register with it. It will make it mandatory for borewell drilling agencies to register with the authority.

The statutory body will be given powers to confiscate the machinery of such agencies or impose penalty if they refuse to abide by the law.

There would be a non-recurring expenditure of Rs 20 lac and a recurring expenditure of Rs 19.94 lac per year by the proposed legislative measure, the Bill said.