BENGALURU: The Assembly witnessed pandemonium on Tuesday when MLAs from the Opposition demanded that the Congress abolish the panels overseeing implementation of its five guarantee schemes. The Opposition did not relent despite CM Siddaramaiah’s intervention.
Raising the issue, Turuvekere MLA MT Krishnappa (JDS) said the government paid salary to Congress workers, who have been made members of the panels at district and taluk levels. Taxpayers’ money is being wasted on members of these panels, he alleged.
BJP and JDS legislators supported him and demanded that the government abolish these panels. This led to a heated debate, forcing Speaker UT Khader to adjourn the House. Pandemonium continued when the session resumed. Khader, who adjourned the House again, held a reconcillary meeting with the CM, DyCM DK Shivakumar, LoP R Ashoka, and JDSLP leader CB Sureshbabu.
Oppn MLAs question govt over misue of public money
When the session resumed, the MLAs from opposition parties stormed into the Well of the House and staged a dharna, accusing the Congress government of looting taxpayers’ money. Congress legislators alleged that opposition parties are against the implementation of the guarantee schemes. The Speaker adjourned the House for the day.
Earlier, the MLAs from opposition parties did not relent when Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara said that a decision on the matter would be taken at the cabinet meeting on Thursday.
Ashoka said around Rs 20 crore a year will be spent on Congress workers working as panel members. When the government is unable to pay a monthly honorarium of Rs 3,000 each to Asha and midday meal workers, it is readily paying Rs 25,000 to Rs 40,000 to Congress workers overseeing the implementation of the guarantee schemes. That too, for holding just two meetings a month.
The government said the chairperson of the panel at the district-level gets a monthly salary of Rs 40,000 and its vice-chairman Rs 10,000 and members Rs 1,000. At the taluk level, the chairperson of the panel gets Rs 25,000 and members Rs 1,000 per month. Ashoka said the panels to implement the government schemes are headed by MLAs.
“But the committees overseeing the implementation of guarantee schemes are headed by Congress workers. If KPCC pays them, we do not have any problem. We are MLAs, elected by the people. This is a democratic system. By setting up parallel committees at taluk and district levels, what are you (government) trying to do?’’ he said.