BELAGAVI: The State Government’s proposal to hold the monsoon session of the legislature in Belagavi during the second week of July has triggered a debate over administrative and financial challenges in conducting it outside Bengaluru, that too during peak monsoon.
The district administration, however, has held a meeting on the arrangements to be made for the session. Traditionally, only a 10-day winter session of the legislature is held at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi, while budget and monsoon sessions are held in Bengaluru.
If the government goes ahead with its proposal, this will be the first monsoon session in Belagavi after the inauguration of the legislature complex in 2012. The session is likely to be held for 10 days from July 13. However, there may be a change in the proposal in view of the current political developments in the state.
The government’s proposal comes when dues of the previous sessions are yet to be cleared. According to sources here, the government has to clear over Rs 45 lakh hotel bills.
Expenses incurred on traffic management and temporary infrastructure created to prevent untoward incidents during protests in front of Suvarna Vidhana Soudha haven’t been cleared.
According to information obtained through the RTI Act, each of the recent sessions cost the government between Rs 14 crore and Rs 28 crore, including spending on accommodation of legislators and officials, security, transport and temporary administrative arrangements.
The government is said to have incurred an expenditure of more than Rs 170 crore on sessions in Belagavi so far. For previous winter sessions, more than 6,000 police personnel were deployed across the city. Hundreds of CCTV cameras were installed and barricades erected in various places of the city and around Suvarna Vidhana Soudha.
A major challenge for officials is protests by farmers’ groups, Kannada organisations and activists, and labour unions. While local businesses such as hotels, transport operators and restaurants benefit from the sessions, many question whether the expenditure and diversion of administrative machinery justify the short-term gains.
Deputy commissioner Mohammad Roshan said that he has not received any instruction for preparations to be made for the monsoon session here.