Amidst pandemonium on February 23, the Assembly passed the the Karnataka Legislature (Prevention of Disqualification) Bill, 2024, for exempting the advisers to the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister from disqualification for being a member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislative Council on such appointments.
The Bill was necessitated as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had appointed MLAs as his political and economic advisers.
The Bill also exempted the Chairman or the Member to any Commission and the Vice-Chairman of the State Institute for Transformation of Karnataka from disqualification for being a member of the Assembly or of the Council.
The Bill amended the Karnataka Legislature (Prevention of Disqualification) Act, 1956, according to Law and Parliamentary Affairs H.K. Patil.
Bagair hukum
The Karnataka Land Revenue (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was also passed in the Assembly. According to the Bill, if an MLA is not interested in being a member of the Bagair Hukum Committee, the State Government is empowered to nominate any resident of the constituency as a member of the committee.
Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said that if an MLA has no interest in becoming a member of the committee owing to a busy schedule, then constituting the committee would be delayed. The High Court has taken serious note to remove encroachment of government land and directed formation of the committee, according to the Bill.
Generally, MLAs are appointed as members of the committee formed to regularise unauthorised cultivation of agriculture land in the respective Assembly constituency.
If the MLA or the leader of the opposition or the Minister felt that he or she cannot become a member of the committee owing to time constraints, the member concerned can give in writing to the government to appoint any resident of the constituency to the committee, Mr Gowda said.
The opposition BJP and JD (S) members continued their dharna in the well of the House seeking withdrawal of the resolution, which was passed on February 22, condemning the ‘step-motherly attitude of the Centre which is destroying the State’s economy by causing huge financial losses by denying it the rightful share of taxes, Central funds, and drought as well as flood relief’.
Following the continued dharna by the opposition, the House was adjourned for the day, to meet on February 26.
