Oppn protests in Karnataka assembly over Cong workers heading guarantee scheme panels

Bengaluru, Mar 12 (PTI) Protests by the opposition BJP and JD(S) MLAs against the appointment of Congress workers to the committees overseeing the implementation of the government’s five guarantee schemes, disrupted proceedings of the Karnataka Assembly for the second consecutive day on Wednesday.


Accusing the government of "curtailing" the powers of the legislators by forming parallel committees with Congress workers as its presidents, vice-presidents, and members, to oversee the guarantee schemes, the opposition argued that money from the state exchequer cannot be used to pay honorarium to the party workers.

The protest began from the well of the House on Tuesday, demanding that the government dissolve all these committees. The opposition insisted that if oversight was necessary, then panels should be headed by the MLAs and not Congress workers, despite Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar's assurance that the cabinet would look into the matter.

As the House met on Wednesday, BJP and JD(S) members continued their protest from the well of the House.

Speaker U T Khader urged both the government and the opposition to resolve the issue and ensure that the House functions. "I'm telling this to both the government and the opposition."

BJP MLA Sunil Kumar criticised the move and said the salaries of EO (Executive Officer) and a Tehsildar should be cut by Rs 25,000 to Rs 40,000, as the government doesn't have trust on them, and has entrusted the responsibility of ensuring the implementation of the guarantee schemes to the committees consisting of Congress workers.

"The salary of Rs 25,000 and Rs 40,000 that you (government) are paying to the presidents of taluk and district level committees, cut them from their (EO and Tahsildar) salary. The government should be ashamed to pay Congress workers using the taxpayers money," he said.

Some Congress workers objected to the opposition members' protest, calling it "anti -guarantee" schemes.

Leader of Opposition R Ashoka said the opposition wants the House to function and the public issues to be discussed.

Targeting the government for appointing Congress workers to the implementation committees, he said, "The government is under financial stress, so they are planning to shut 9 universities, they are unable to pay Anganwadi workers, they are unable to pay milk subsidies, guest lecturers, but they are using money from exchequer to pay their party workers."

As his repeated attempts to ensure that the opposition ends its protest failed, Speaker Khader adjourned the House till afternoon.

The government extending the facilities of the Cabinet Minister and the Minister of State to the president and five vice presidents of the state level committee to oversee implementation of guarantee schemes; also paying a monthly honorarium of Rs 40,000 and Rs 25,000 to the presidents of district and taluk-level committees respectively, have come under intense criticism from opposition.

While the vice president of the district committee is paid Rs 10,000 monthly honorarium, Rs 1,100 and Rs 1,000 is paid as sitting fee for the members of district and taluk level committees respectively.

There is a president, five vice-presidents and 31 members in the State-level committee. While the district-level committee has a president, five vice-presidents, and 15 members; the taluk level committee has a president, and 14 members.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)