Speaker Kageri orders stop to all legislative panel meetings

BENGALURU: Legislative  Assembly Speaker Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri on Monday issued orders to stop legislative committees from calling for meetings. Citing the spike in the number of Covid-19 cases, and the government’s decision to lock down Bengaluru Urban and Rural districts for a week, Kageri has asked all legislative committees not to call for meetings until further orders. The order comes at a time the Congress, led by former CM Siddaramaiah, has been accusing the government of misappropriating Covid-19 funds and stalling the Public Accounts Committee from inquiring into allegations of corruption.

“Since Covid is spreading rapidly across the State, and the government has ordered a lockdown in Bengaluru Rural and Urban, the Speaker out of compulsion has opined, it is best suited not to hold any meetings of committees,” said a circular from Assembly secretary M K Vishalakshi. The Legislative Assembly has 16 committees, including those on estimates, public undertakings, assurances, libraries etc, comprising members of all parties.

Siddaramaiah, during his press meet on July 3, had accused the Speaker of attempting to scuttle the PAC’s probe into the matter of misappropriation of funds. “When PAC chairman HK Patil raised the matter, the Speaker writes a letter asking him not to probe the matter. This is an attempt to cover up corruption,” Siddaramaiah had said. Barely ten days after the allegations, the Speaker has ordered the suspension of all meetings of all committees, until further notice.

“We did not meet last week due to the Covid situation. But we had requested the Speaker to allow virtual meetings via Zoom or video conference. The PAC has sought details of expenditure from the health department, and is yet to scrutinise it. I appeal to the Speaker to at least allow digital meetings of committees,” said Eshwar Khandre, PAC member.