Karnataka - Bangalore   

Bill seeks ban on altering bungalows

BANGALORE: A Private Member’s Bill was tabled in the Legislative Council on Friday seeking to ban any alternations to government residential quarters for Ministers in the name of Vastu.

The Bill, tabled by Janata Dal (Secular) floor leader M.C. Nanaiah, in a bid to uphold secular values, seeks to prohibit any puja, homa or any religious activity in the offices of ministers, presiding officers, deputy presiding officers and chief whips of the Houses of the Legislature.

The Karnataka Ministers’ Salaries, Pensions, Allowances and Other Law (Amendment) Bill, 2008 seeks to amend the Karnataka Ministers Salaries and Allowances Act, 1956 and the Karnataka Legislature Salaries, Pensions and Allowances Act, 1956.

The Bill states that the “residences provided to the Ministers shall be in good condition in all respects, satisfying the prescribed plinth area, accommodation and facilities therein. No structural change and modification in the form of alteration or repairs on the ground of Vastu or any other grounds shall be made in the residences so provided”.

Tabling the Bill, Mr. Nanaiah took exception to the trend of Ministers spending huge sums of money from the exchequer on making Vastu corrections.

“If we do not put an end to such a practice, politicians will demolish parts of the Vidhana Soudha in the coming days to effect Vastu modifications,” he said.

A heated argument took place between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress when Congress member V.R. Sudarshan made a certain remark on the Vastu beliefs of BJP ministers and scientific temper.

Officiating Chairman of the Council N. Thippanna had to adjourn the House for 15 minutes to calm things down.

When the House re-assembled, BJP members took exception to only English copies of the Bill being circulated and demanded that the discussion on the Bill should be put off till Kannada copies were provided.

Kannada Development Authority chairman ‘Mukhyamantri’ Chandru (BJP) said according to the rules on the implementation of Kannada in administration, all Bills should be in Kannada. A Kannada copy of the Bill was made available to Mr. Chandru.

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