Karnataka HC notice on plea against naming govt. buildings after living politicians and personalities

The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday ordered issue of notice to the State government on a PIL petition questioning the practice of naming several government buildings and properties after the names of living politicians and personalities in Davangere district contrary to the directions issued by the court in 2012.

The petition, in particular, questioned naming of several buildings and properties after the names of Davangere South MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa and his son S.S. Mallikarjun, MLA from Davangere North constituency and Minister for Mines and Geology, and Horticulture.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice N.V. Anjaria and Justice Krishna S. Dixit passed the order on the petition filed by A.C.

Raghavendra, Davangerebased advocate. The Bench also ordered issue of notices to Mr. Shivashankarappa and Mr. Mallikarjun.

2012 directive

It was pointed out in the petition that the High Court in 2012 had directed the Davangere district Deputy Commissioner to remove the name of “Sanamanya K. Maadal Virupakshappa” given to playground in Channagiri taluk as Mr. Virupakshappa was then MLA.

It shall not be named after any living person and certainly not in the name of a public figure who is certain to gain advantage from such name. If there is any politician who is desirous of having his name immortalised, he is free to do it on his own property and provided that no public funds have been used, the court observed in its 2012 order, the petitioner stated. A bus stand for private buses, a colony of houses built under Ashraya scheme, a park, a council hall of the Davangere city corporation, all built from the government funds, have been given the name of Mr. Shivashankarappa, and a lake, an auditorium of zilla panchayat, and a colony of houses built under Ashraya scheme, have been given the name of Mr. Mallikarjun, the petitioner stated.

Obstacle course