BENGALURU: The tri-colour Karnataka flag was designed, approved and even sent to the Union government for approval, all was done within a short period just before State Assembly election. This was one of the initiative by the then Chief Minister Siddaramiah to woo Kannadigas.
It looks like it will not be unfurl anytime soon. Last year during June Kannada and Culture Department issued an order to constitute nine member Committee headed by Principal Secretary, Kannada and Culture Department, Secretary to DPAR, Law Department Secretary, Secretary - Home, Chairman- Kannada Sahithya Parishath, Kannada Development Authority Chairman, Registrar Kannada University Hampi and Director - Kannada and Culture Department.
The committee members would look into new design of flag for Karnataka and also legalities of Karnataka having its own flag.
But the committee members did not meet for a long. Only in March first week, just a few days before Election Commission announced code of conduct, the tri-colour flag was designed - Yellow-white and red, State emblem (Gandaberunda) in the centre.
The same was sent to Union government's Ministry of Home Affairs f(MHA) or approval as State has not power to approve it.
"If the government of India approves, Karnataka will be the second state in the country to have its own flag after Jammu and Kashmir, which is allowed the same under Article 370 of the Constitution. But since there are different government in State and Centre, it looks like it will not be approved now.
Inturn, we were told to resend the proposal, its a long process and we might miss hoisting it this Kannada Rajyostava,'' a senior official from Department of Kannada and Culture said.
According to Kannada Development Authority Chairman S G Siddaramiah, who is one of the member of the nine member committee for Karnataka flag told The New Indian Express, there is no update in this regard.
"Now the Assembly sessions are going on, it cannot be discussed now. Once the sessions get over, we will approach Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy to persue this matter further as it is pending before the Union government,'' he said. Sources from JDS said its a complete Congress project.
"Its not that we are not interested. But there are many priority promises which our party did before election, we want to fullfill it first,'' JDS leader said.
Kannada and Culture Minister Jayamala Ramachandra said they are very much keen in implementing it. "We are going to write MHA authorities soon to know the status,'' she said. When asked how long it will take, she said they do not have idea as they are new.
"We had send to MHA in March 2018,'' she added. It can be recalled in 2012, when D V Sadananda Gowda in his budget speech said that the bicolour Kannada flag would be hoisted on all government buildings next to the national flag on November 1. A circular was also issued. However, it was challenged in the Karnataka High Court forcing them to withdraw its notification.
Later, when Jagadish Shettar was CM, his government gave affidavit that there is no state flag. As per the rules and regulations of The Flag Code of India, 2001 and the State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act, 2005, recommends only the Tricolour.