BELAGAVI: In the midst of several challenges, attempts are being made to hold the winter session of the legislature effectively at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi for 10 days starting December 13, Assembly Speaker Vishweshwara Hegde Kageri has said. Addressing the media at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha here on Thursday, Kageri said that Karnataka is facing challenges related to Covid-19 besides flood-relief works and the MLC election process.
He expressed confidence that the winter session will be held with an objective to meet people’s aspirations.“Necessary measures will be taken to ensure that all Covid protocols are followed by people during the session. Officials from various departments have already held extensive meetings on how to conduct the session by implementing Covid guidelines effectively,” he said.
Kageri said he was yet to receive the Bills to be tabled in the winter session from the government. “None of the Bills have been sent to us so far by the government. Actually, the Bills should be sent to us at least a week prior to the start of the session. We are asking the government to expedite the process,” he added.
On the recent chaos in Rajya Sabha over the farm laws, Kageri said that he was pained by the developments and has written to the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Rajya Sabha Chairman raising concern over the conduct of several people’s representatives inside the Upper House.
Kageri said he expects people’s representatives to behave responsibly and hold meaningful discussions on all the vital issues in the winter session to meet people’s expectations. Kageri said that he held marathon meetings with top officials at the soudha to ensure that all arrangements, including accommodation, food and travel of all the legislators, officials and other guests were in place before the start of the session.
Legislative Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti said that the MLCs to be elected afresh after the December 10 elections from local bodies’ constituencies will not be eligible to attend the winter session. According to him, the new MLCs would have to take oath of office on January 5, a day after the term of the sitting MLCs from the same constituencies ends on January 4. “Therefore, all the sitting MLCs will be attending the winter session,’’ he added.