Stage set for high drama as 10-day Winter Session begins in K’taka Assembly
Belagavi: The stage is set for high drama as the 10-day Winter Session of the Karnataka Assembly started on Monday, with the opposition BJP and JD (S) readying to attack the state’s ruling Congress government.
The Karnataka Police have deputed 5,000 personnel to provide security during the Winter Session.
The MLAs have submitted 2,512 questions to the Assembly and 1,207 questions to the Legislative Council.
The Assembly Speaker had declared that the first 25 MLAs who arrived at the session on time would get cups and saucers with the emblem of the Karnataka government.
The BJP is buoyed by the success in the Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh Assembly elections, whereas the Congress has claimed that the party’s victory in Telangana was ensured with the successful implementation of guarantee schemes in Karnataka.
The saffron camp is taking on the Congress government with vigour following the appointment of the leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka, while former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa’s son and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra as the party’s state President.
The Congress camp is also in high spirits following the success of the Bengaluru Tech Summit -23 and Telangana poll results.
Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar declared that the Telangana results were an indication of the continued dominance of the Congress in South India.
The move of the Congress government to withdraw consent for a CBI probe in the misappropriation case against Shivakumar will be most likely to be raised by the BJP and JD (S).
Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had urged the Siddaramaiah-led government to table the report on the number of development projects announced in the state Budget.
“Congress leaders are repeatedly claiming credit over the guarantee schemes, but in reality, these schemes have not reached the people. Instead of distributing 10 kg rice under the ‘Anna Bhagya’ scheme, it has failed to distribute 5 kg rice allotted by the government of India,” Bommai said.
He also claimed that a survey of the Gruha Lakshmi scheme has shown that only 35 per cent of women have received Rs 2,000 in the first month, but not months that followed.
Siddaramaiah had announced the release of crop relief of Rs 2,000 in the first instalment for eligible farmers suffering from drought.
Making the announcement at an emergency press conference, he stated that it is an emergency action by the state in view of the fact that the Centre has not yet held a preliminary meeting to compensate the farmers of the state who are facing a severe drought.
“There is no response to the letters written to the Centre. Three ministers from the state visited Delhi, but did not get a positive response,” the Chief Minister claimed.
He charged that the Union government had not conducted a single meeting to date.
