Cut pay for executive, judiciary too: Opposition

BENGALURU: The Assembly on Tuesday passed the Salaries Amendment Bill, which reduces salaries and allowances of members of the Legislative Assembly, including the Speaker and Chief Minister, by 30 per cent for one year starting April 2020. But it came with a demand that similar cuts be made for the executive and judiciary. JDS member A T Ramaswamy urged for salary cuts in the executive while Congress’ HK Patil sought cuts for the judiciary. The salary and allowance cuts are expected to save the government Rs 16.17 crore, the House was told.

Also, as per the Supreme Court’s direction, the Kannada University Act has been amended to drop ‘leprosy’ as ground for disqualification of a member from the University authority. In the principal Act, a person could be disqualified for election or nomination as a member of any of the authorities of the University if found to be of unsound mind, deaf, mute or suffering from leprosy.

“The Supreme Court has taken objection to it and ordered that rules cannot discriminate against leprosy patients. Hence, this amendment,” Law Minister J C Madhuswamy told the Assembly. The House also passed an amendment to the Prohibition of Beggary Act to replace terms like ‘leprosy’ and ‘lunatics’ with ‘contagious disease’ and ‘mental illness’.

Bills passed

Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (Amendment) Bill, 2020, 
Karnataka Legislature Salaries, Pensions and Allowances and certain other law (Amendment) Bill, 2020
Karnataka Prohibition of beggary (Amendment) Bill 2020 
Kannada University and Certain other law (Amendment) Bill, 2020.