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Bill to acquire Mysore palace still held up

Karnataka Chief Minister Jayadevappa Patel will meet President K R Narayanan again in connection with the Palace Acquisition Bill following the Centre's inordinate delay in returning it to the state government even though it received presidential assent three weeks ago.

Briefing newsmen after a cabinet meeting in Bangalore, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister M C Nanaiah said that in the normal course the Centre should have sent the assented bill to the state within 24 hours. "We have to find out the reasons for the delay. We will wait for some more time and if circumstances demand, we will meet the President again," he said.

The bill had been forwarded to the President by the home ministry only after eliciting the views of all departments concerned. Even the attorney-general of India had given his opinion in favour of the bill. So there is no reason to delay it now, Nanaiah said.

He said the Karnataka cabinet had decided to urge Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani to expedite the matter and send the bill back at the earliest, he added.

Asked about reports that Union Urban Development Minister Ram Jethmalani was holding the bill back, Nanaiah said that if true, it is an "affront to democracy".

UNI

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