From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Jun 16: All arrangements have been made for the diamond jubilee of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly by organising the 60th anniversary celebratons of the first session of the Assembly on a grand manner on June 18, Monday.

The first session of the State Assembly was held on June 18, 1952.

Addressing a news conference on the preparations, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister S Suresh Kumar and Speaker K G Bopaiah said a two-hour-long programme would be held in the Assembly hall and would commence at 11 am on Monday.

Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda would inaugurate the photo exhibition in front of the Banquet Hall at the Secretariat on Sunday at 6 pm.

Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj would preside over the diamond jubilee function in the State Assembly hall on Monday.

The inauguration ceremony of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit of 1986 was also held in the Assembly hall.

Former Chief Justice of India M N Venkatachaliah would deliver the key note address while former minister and sitting MP, D B Chandre Gowda would speak about his experience as member of the House as well as the speaker in Monday’s diamond jubilee function.

Five members of the first Legislative Assembly – U M Madappa (Chamarajangar, Mulka Govinda Reddy (Chitradurga) T G Thimme Gowda (Tiptur), Amba Das (Bdiar) and Vasanth Rao L Patil (Belgaum) – would be felicitated in the Assembly hall by the Chief Minister and the Congress Opposition leader Siddaramaiah.

Former Chief Ministers M Veerappa Moily, H D Kumaraswamy and N Dharam Singh have agreed to participate.

Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and former Speaker Ramesh Kumar have written to the Speaker about their inability to participate in the programme, Kumar said.

Former MPs and sitting MPs of Karnataka would occupy seats at the Official Gallery in the House while former Chief Ministers would sit on the first row of the ruling benches.

Former speakers would occupy chairs in the first row of Opposition benches.

Kumar and Bopaiah said sitting MLAs and MLCs have been invited to the programme.

A colourful and informative souvenir would also be released on the occasion.

After the programme, a lunch and a cultural programme has been organised at the Banquet Hall of the Secretariat.

Singers Sangeeta Katti and Prakash Suntagi would entertain members during the lunch hours and later, they said.