The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Passage of Bill without debate criticised

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Mar 04, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Passage of Bill without debate criticised

Staff Reporter

It amounts to misappropriation of people's money, asserts J.C. Madhuswamy

Bangalore: The Janata Dal (United) floor leader in the Legislative Assembly, J.C. Madhuswamy, on Friday criticised the Speaker, Krishna, for allowing the Karnataka Appropriation Bill, 2006 to be adopted without a discussion.

He said the passage of a money Bill without discussion is unconstitutional and he would not accept the explanation of the Speaker that a discussion was not possible in the uproar with Opposition members shouting slogans in the well of the House.

Taking the Government to task for handling a money Bill involving an expenditure of Rs. 1,638.82 crore so casually, Mr. Madhuswamy said future governments too could resort to that tactic. No money could be spent without the knowledge of the House, he said.

Referring to the explanation of the Speaker that he could not hear his own voice owing to the din in the House, Mr. Madhuswamy said in that case the Speaker should have named the members who were creating trouble and later allowed a discussion on the Bill in a calm atmosphere.

He urged that the Bill be recalled from the Legislative Council and passed after a debate in the House. Otherwise, he said it would amount to misappropriation of the people's money.

Araga Jnanendra of the Bharatiya Janata Party spoke defending the Speaker's action.

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