Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker K.B. Koliwad said efforts would be made to shift at least 10 government departments to Suvarna Soudha to ensure effective use of the building constructed here.
Heaping praise on the Opposition for the successful conduct of the 10-day session, the Speaker said he would visit Nagpur in Maharasthra to study the functioning of the secretariat building there. “In the interest of the people of North Karnataka, it’s better to shift some of the departments here.”
The Maharashtra government also conducts winter session of the Legislature in Nagpur.
Members cutting across party-lines have been demanding shifting of the departments, particularly irrigation, horticulture, textiles, to Suvarna Soudha. MLCs such as Basavaraj Horatti (JD-S), MLA G. T. Patil (Congress) and Basavaraj Bommai (BJP) have been at the forefront and have urged the government to shift at least some of the ministries to State Secretariat here.
The common argument of most of the legislators of the N-K region is that Suvarna Soudha will turn out to be a white elephant for the government if it is used only for holding the the winter session.
Stating that most of the irrigation projects coming under Water Resources Ministry are related to N-K region coming under Upper Krishna Project, Mr. Bommai said the government should shift this ministry to Belagavi.
Legislator’s Home
Meanwhile, Mr. Koliwad said 100-rooms Legislators’ Home would be constructed on the premises of the Suvarnana Soudha. However, the plan has not yet received green signal from the government. He would hold discussions with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Mr. Koliwad said more reforms would be introduced in the coming days for peaceful conduct of the session. By taking all members into confidence, he would bring in new rules to ban staging protests in the well of the house, the Speaker said.
NICE
Asked about the delay in tabling a House Committee report on alleged irregularities of the NICE’s road project, the speaker said he had no role in delaying tabling of the report.
Paperless proceeding
Replying to a question on conducting paperless Assembly proceedings, he said a proposal has been sent to the Union Government seeking funds. He was hopeful of implementing the paperless session, the speaker said.
