After getting Budget passed, Yeddy to curtail Karnataka legislature session
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
BANGALORE, JUL 15: With the combined Congress-JD(S) opposition stalling proceedings in the Karnataka legislature by staging day and night dharna in the well of the houses since the last four days starting from Friday afternoon on the Lokayukta and illegal mining issue, the B S Yeddyurappa regime gave indications of the ruling BJP Government’s move to abruptly curtail the legislature session after getting the demands for grants pertaining to all departments and the financial bills for the budget proposals passed.
Even as the opposition members belonging to both the parties staged dharna and noisy protests in the well of the assembly when it met in the morning by wearing black clothes around their necks or covering their faces and mouths to register their protest against the Government’s disrespect to the democratic norms and parliamentary conventions, the Yeddyurappa regime got all the financial bills and demands for grants pertaining to all the 28 departments introduced in the house.
According to informed sources, the ruling party is believed to made up its mind to get the budget proposals for the current year of 2010-11 passed by voice vote in view of its majority in the lower house when it meets on Friday and send them to the upper house, where also it is assured of smooth passage in view of its just secured majority. Once the finance bills and budget proposals get the assent of both houses, which has to be done by the end of July as the vote on account was for a period of four months from April 1, the Yeddyurappa regime is expected to move in for sine die adjournment of both houses of the State legislature.
The sine die adjournment of both houses of state legislature is considered necessary as the legislative bill for granting more powers to the Lokayukta could be given effect to through the mode of promulgating an ordinance.
In the meanwhile, amid ruckus, the Assembly on Thursday passed six Bills, including Karnataka Town and Country Planning and Certain Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2009, for regularisation of illegal constructions, by vice vote without any debate.
The Congress and JD(S) opposition members, who have been staging a sit-in dharna in the well of the house since last Friday afternoon wore black cloth around their neck or tied their faces and mouths. They also shouted slogans of ``We want CBI inquiry,” ``Down, Down, BJP Down,” ``BJP is looting thousands of crores of rupees,” ``BJP hatao, Karnataka bachao,” ``Gali gali me shor hai, BJP chor hai” and many other slogans. They also tore copies of the agenda and bills that there were introduced and passed without any debate and threw the pieces in the house.
The Bills that were passed are: Karnataka Information Technology Investment Regions Bill, 2010; Karnataka Land Reforms (Amendment) Bill, 2010; the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage (Amendment) Bill, 2010; Karnataka Irrigation and Certain Other Law (Amendment) Bill, 2010; Karnataka Town and Country Planning and Certain Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2009, and Karnataka Rent (Amendment) Bill, 2008.
The Karnataka Town and Country Planning and Certain Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2009, was passed without a debate in the House following a dharna by the entire Opposition demanding a CBI probe into illegal mining in the State.
The Bill facilitates extension of time limit for filling application for regularisation by one year from the date of commencement of this Act; regularisation of buildings constructed in violation of provisions of law and building bye law prior to December 3, 2009; and reduction fee/amount for regularisation of such buildings. Owners of the buildings have to pay six per cent of the market value, determined in accordance with the Karnataka Stamp Act, 1957, in the case of the violation of set back norms and permissible floor area ratio does not exceeds 25 per cent; and eight percent of the market value for those who violates set back norms and floor area ratio from 25 per cent to 50 per cent, the Bill said.
The Karnataka Land Reforms (Amendment) Bill, 2010 was passed to enable an occupant to raise loan by mortgaging or create a charge on his interest for the development of land or improvement of agricultural practices. The Bill was considered necessary to enable the owner to raise loan by mortgaging their lands, for higher studies of their children.
The Karnataka Information Technology Investment Regions Bill, 2010 was passed for the declaration of IT
Investment Regions (ITIR), infrastructure facilities to be provided by the government, package of incentives for the development of ITIRs, acquisition of lands, allotment of land for ITIRs, and constitution of the management of board and its functions. There would be an expenditure of Rs. 3 crore per year from the Bill.
To counter Opposition’s charge over illegal mining, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa said conventions will be organised in all districts to inform the people about achievements of the Government for the last two years.
Addressing presspersons here, he said he would stay in district headquarters for three days every month and review the performance of government schemes. A public function would be organised in each district to create awareness among the people about the work done by the government.
To collect information about problems faced by farmers, he would spend a night in a farmer’s house in a village of Tumkur Rural district soon, he said.
Referring to a “padayatra” from Bellary to Mysore planned by Minister for Health B Sriramulu, the Chief Minister said: ``We would collectively launch a campaign against the Opposition and inform the people about the Opposition’s role in derailing the State legislature session.”
“I am saddened by the developments” he said and appealed to the Opposition to cooperate with the government in conducting legislature session. He lamented that the Government’s desire to conduct legislature session for 60 days was not likely to be fulfilled in view of the adamant and obstructionist attitude of the opposition.
The Chief Minister categorically ruled out ordering a CBI probe into illegal mining and export of iron ore from the State. There was no substance in the demand made by the Opposition and the Karnataka Lokayukta would conduct the probe into illegal mining, he said.
Incidentaly, Yeddyurappa tendered an unconditional apology to former union minister and ex-Congress MP and R L Jalappa, for mentioning his name in illegal mining in the State during his reply in the Legislative Council and said the information was based on the details furnished by his officials. Jalappa’s son-in-law has obtained a permission to mine iron ore and not the former union minister, the Chief Minister said.
Meanwhile, Congress opposition leader Siddaramaiah, who spoke the reporters after the adjournment and passage of as many as six legislative bills without any debate through voice vote even as nearly half the members were staging a dharna, was most undemocratic and showed the Yeddyurappa regime’s lack of faith in democratic norms and parliamentary conventions.
``What is the harm in ordering a CBI probe, if the Government has nothing to hide and only the Congress-JD(S) leaders or their families were involved? The chief minister himself has admitted on the floor of the legislature that over 3 lakh tonnes of iron ore, which is worth at least Rs 15,000 to 20,000 crore, was illegally exported. As the scandal involves inter-state ramifications and FERA violations because of the illegal exports without proper documents, CBI alone is the most competent agency to conduct the probe,” he argued pointing out that the Lokayukta would not be able to conduct a complete probe.