BENGALURU: Over 150 taluks are drought-hit across the state and an agrarian crisis is looming large. But none of this found even a mention in all seven days of the budget session of the Karnataka legislature.
When Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar adjourned the assembly sine die on Thursday,a day earlier than scheduled, the House had clocked barely 15 hours and 10 minutes of business, which included three and a half hours of the Chief Minister’s budget speech.

The only debate that ever took place in the House was on audio tapes purportedly showing BJP luring coalition MLAs. Nine bills, including the Finance Bill,  were passed amid ruckus, but none were discussed.On an average, the House functioned just for 2.5 hours per day in seven days.

 “To me, the whole session seemed to be a waste of time. We have an agrarian and an economic crisis but they aren’t keen on discussing it. It looks like they are more worried about saving their chairs cutting across party lines. The representativeness of these people is questionable,” said Prof Harish Ramaswamy, political analyst and researcher.

He added that blackmail tactics and ways to attack each other had taken precedence in this session.
Neither the ruling coalition party nor the opposition BJP initiated discussion on any matters. No questions were asked or answered in this session.  

“I am saddened by the whole development and it reflects poorly on our democracy and belittles our institution. The government was ready for debate and discussion but when the opposition is hell bent on destabilising the government through unconstitutional means and isn’t interested in debating any issues, what can the government do?” said Dinesh Gundu Rao, KPCC president who acknowledged that there were a host of issues that needed to be discussed.

Governor Vajubhai Vala’s address to the joint session was cut short on the very first day after BJP began protesting against the supposed lack of majority of government. The ruckus that began on day one, refused to die down till Thursday when the House was adjourned sine die. Kumaraswamy’s decision to release audio tapes allegedly involving B S Yeddyurappa worsened matters.

The attack on the BJP MLA’s residence, allegedly by JD(S) workers, fuelled the BJP’s protests. With the Speaker’s rape analogy and BJP’s memorandum to the Governor, the session made headlines for all the wrong reasons.

“The welfare of the State was not given priority. A budget session deserves better. The government did not let us behave like a responsible opposition,” said Suresh Kumar, BJP MLA.

While he expressed regret over the poor transaction of business in the House, he justified his party’s decisions. Crores are earmarked for a legislative session. While an official estimate of how must this budget cost the exchequer is being compiled, the previous session at Belagavi had cost Rs 11 crore.