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No winter session of Karnataka legislature this year too

S. Rajendran

Government has held sessions for just 51 days in violation of rule

Bangalore: The winter session of the Karnataka Legislature, as was the case last year, is off with the Government likely to opt for a brief session of the Legislature after the Sankranthi festival. The next session is scheduled to commence on January 19, tentatively.

This would translate into the Government holding a session of the legislature for just 51 days in the current calendar year which is almost the same as that of last year when the session was held for 50 days. It also means that the Karnataka Conduct of Business in the State Legislature Act 2005 which stipulates that the Legislature should meet for at least 60 days in a year stands to be dishonoured in the very first year after the legislation was enacted.

The legislation was enacted primarily to ensure that the Legislature met at regular intervals akin to Parliament — an opening session of 15 days, a budget session of 20 days, a monsoon session of 15 days and a winter session of 10 days.

"The legislation is not an advisory but a law which has to be strictly adhered to by the Government. Section 4 of the Act has imposed an obligation on the Government to recommend legislature sessions for 60 days," Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council and the former Parliamentary Affairs Minister, H.K. Patil told The Hindu . He was instrumental in enacting the 2005 legislation.

Demand

Sources in the Government said the demand from several departments of the Government, particularly the Revenue and the Education departments, on the need for promulgation of several ordinances was the reason for the Government deciding against a winter session of the legislature. These ordinances have to be again placed before the legislature for a formal adoption. Successive governments have postponed legislature sessions rather than face a determined Opposition. The present Government is loath to having a legislature session given the present Opposition combine, particularly the Congress which has staged dharnas to pressure the Government to yield to their demands in the last two sessions. More time was expended on dharnas than on regular sessions by legislators in the last session.

The Government has to serve a 15-day notice to enable the legislators and the authorities to prepare for the session.

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