From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Jan 20: A brief eight-day session of the Karnataka Legislature, the first during the new year 2014, will be held from January 22.
 
The eight-day legislature session will commence with an address by the Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj to members of both houses on Wednesday at 12 noon.
 
Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa and Legislative Council Chairman D H Shankaramurthy, who called on the Governor and formally invited him to address the joint session of the Legislature, told reporters in the afternoon that both houses of the State Legislature would meet subsequently for seven days and the session is scheduled to conclude on January 30,
 
The Legislative Council has received 342 questions so far and 45 calling attention notices.

The Council would take up the Karnataka Essential Services Maintenance Bill, 2013 and the Karnataka Revenue (Amendment) Bill, 2013.

The Assembly  had passed both Bills during the Belgaum session of the State legislature held during November-December, 2013.
Shankaramurthy said he along with the Speaker met the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and submitted a calendar of events to the Government for the holding the legislature session in the year 2014.

A decision was taken to hold the Legislature Session for 60 days in a year.

The  Council chairman said a statue of Mahatma Gandhi would be installed in the space between Vikasa Soudha and Vidhana Soudha.

The secretariat has invited Expression of Interest from architects and January 31 is the last date, Shankaramurthy said.

''If all goes well, the statue will be unveiled on October 2 this year,” he said.

The cost of the statue has not yet been estimated, he added.