Training session for law makers: CM Siddaramiah asks MLAs to protect democracy

Nelamangala: Chief Minister S Siddaramiah indeed does not mince words, in his advice to the new legislators he called on them to maintain steady attendance at the legislative sessions which will be their contribution to the protection of democracy. “We are in a timeline where people’s expectations about quality governance and people-centric administration were growing and we as their chosen representatives must behave and act in their interests at top of our minds”. He was speaking at the first-ever MLA training session held in the history of the Karnataka legislature at Nelamangala in the outskirts of Bengaluru city.

The concept of the training session was the brainwave of the speaker of Karnataka legislative assembly UT Khader Fareed. He had attended as resource person at the National Legislators Conference (NLC) in Mumbai recently and taking forward that spirit, Khadar had organised this important session aimed at improving the quality of the legislators.

70 legislators attended the three day session. Few legislators from the BJP including Vijendra MLA from Shikaripur, Bhagirathi Murulia(Sullia SC reserved) Kishore Kumar Kodgi (Kundapur) attended. Speaking Hans India UT Khadar said in the next two days more legislators are expected to participate and said “I trust the legislators irrespective of their party affiliations would attend it and make it a fruitful experience”

In his speech Siddarmaiah said “winning an election is not an ordinary task, contesting in elections and winning are two different factors, on the other side electoral politics is driven by huge funding which is also not desirable. The task of the governments had also become tougher as the balancing of budgetary allocation between deficit and unplanned expenditure has become both a science and an art and every legislator must hone this knowledge to the advantage of the people.

He said the first Chief minister and finance minister of the state Kengal Hanumaanthiah had presented a state budget of Rs. 21.3 crores, in the previous budget for 2021-22 the government had presented a budget of 3.09 lakh crores and “now I am preparing to present a budget of Rs.3.30 to Rs. 3.35 lakh crores next month, which shows progress for the state. I am not speaking as a Chief minister of the party but as a parliamentarian with the best interest of the state”.

“My only appeal to the new legislators is that the future, as we know it, will not be so simple in policy making and administration but more in electoral politics. Money is not the panacea of all things, but commitment, honesty, and truthfulness will rule the legislators, and those will be our guiding lights,” he said.

In his speech UT Khadar said “politics was not akin to mathematics; 2 plus 2 can be 22 or 220, but we as legislators must see that it does not become minus 22 for the people. Politics is more akin to chemistry, where actions and reactions are more important than numbers. My only appeal to you all is that we must use the chance that we have been given by the people to serve them to their rightful end”.