BELAGAVI: Paising the new Chairman of the Legislative Council, who was unanimously elected on Wednesday, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said, “Basavaraj Horatti has played a key role in the development of education in Karnataka after Independence.”
As a senior member of the House and a record eight-time MLC, Horatti had earned the faith of all parties and members to get elected unopposed. In his 42-year term in the Council, he worked for to improve education, in terms of transfer of teachers, establishment of new schools and colleges, and resolving the teachers’ issues. “Horatti has good relations with all leaders, and accordingly should lay the foundation for comprehensive development of the state. The debates and discussions in this house should become ideal for all.”
Ruling party leader Kota Shrinivas Pujari said, “His long-term achievement cannot be achieved by anyone else in the House. His strict stand has brought revolutionary changes in education. Thanks to him, quality debates and discussions take place in the House. I am thankful to the members of the Congress and JDS for cooperating to elect him unopposed.”
Opposition group leader BK Hariprasad thanked pro-tem Chairman Raghunathrao Malkapure for giving equal opportunity to the Opposition, and congratulated Horatti.
“I request you to give more chances to the Opposition members to speak in the House, since their duty is to question the government,” he said. Senior members H Vishwanath and Aynoor Manjunath suggested that the Chairman of the House must implement a Parliamentary system and strictly limit the ‘Question Hour’ to an hour, like in the Rajya Sabha.