BENGALURU: The much anticipated private member’s Bill moved by MLC Raghu Achar , seeking to make it mandatory for government employees and elected representatives to send their children to government schools, failed to make the cut in the legislative council on Friday. The Bill was not allowed to be placed citing procedural issues.
Primary and Secondary Education Minister Tanveer Sait was keen on the bill and had even said that if the Bill is passed, the government will frame necessary rules to implement it. But the Bill did not see the light of day. Reacting to the development, a disappointed parent said, “We were eagerly waiting for the Bill to be introduced, because if IAS, IPS officers and politicians send their kids to government schools, then the condition of government schools will automatically improve.”
“If the government allows the bill to be placed and implemented it as law, then private schools which are robbing parents in the name of fee would have been regulated. This is how our system works. When something good is expected, it will not be implemented,” rued Anil Dharmappa, another parent.
“The proposed Bill was expected to change the image of the government schools in the state. From what I have heard, it will be tabled in the next session during February. But in that session everything will be just voter-oriented as assembly elections dates will be out by then. However, we appreciate the Raghu Achar’s initiative,” said Malleshappa, a government school headmaster.
What happened on Friday
On Friday, Legislative Council chairman D H Shankaramurthy refused to allow the bill to be tabled after the state government submitted that it is still considering the bill. However, he assured to take up the bill in the next session of the legislature in February.
When the proceedings began on Friday, Raghu Achar raised the issue and questioned why his Bill was not listed in the agenda. He said that he has proposed the Bill several days ago and he just got only empty promises from the Chairman.
When the chairman did not respond, he demanded that either the Chairman allow his bill or he will sit in dharna till he gets a fair deal. Responding to the plea, Shankaramurthy said the bill has to undergo several technical processes before it is tabled. But the member, much to the embarrassment of the Congress members, sat in the well of the House on dharna. Congress members and ministers tried to pacify him. Opposition BJP members who were supporting Achar, questioned why the government is not keen on the Bill.Responding to Achar, Minister Tanveer Sait said that a few committees have recommended the same to the government.