Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India]: Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker UT Khader is making arrangements to provide recliner chairs for legislators to rest during the upcoming Assembly session, which begins next month.
As in previous sessions, legislators will receive free snacks and meals. However, to prevent them from leaving the premises after lunch, Speaker Khader has decided to install recliner chairs in the Assembly lounge.
“For this joint budget session, around 15 to 20 recliner chairs will be rented to allow legislators to take short naps after lunch,” Khader stated.
Since the Assembly is in session for only about 30 days annually, the chairs will be rented rather than purchased and will be returned after the session ends.
Khader emphasized that this initiative is part of broader efforts to improve attendance in the Assembly. “Several reforms and measures have already been implemented to boost legislators’ attendance. This initiative is also part of that effort, and it is expected to further increase attendance,” he added.
The Karnataka Legislative Assembly session will commence on March 3 at 11:00 AM.
CM Siddaramaiah Criticizes BJP Over Karnataka’s Economic Condition
Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has hit back at BJP leaders for their criticism of the state’s economy, stating that his government is working diligently to recover from the financial mismanagement of the previous BJP administration.
“The reality is that during the BJP’s rule, the state’s economy was pushed to the brink of collapse,” Siddaramaiah said in a statement.
He accused BJP leaders of pretending to be “great economists” while in the opposition, despite their alleged financial mismanagement when they were in power.
“Our government is working hard to bring the state’s economy back on track after the mismanagement and chaos caused by the BJP’s irresponsible financial policies. It is unfortunate that the BJP cannot accept or understand this,” he added.
According to Siddaramaiah, the previous BJP government undertook projects worth seven times more than the allocated budget.
“As of March 31, 2023, they left behind unpaid bills worth ₹2,70,695 crores for key departments like Public Works, Minor Irrigation, Water Resources, Urban Development, Rural Development, and Housing. They also approved projects worth ₹1,66,426 crores under the Chief Minister’s discretionary fund. Can such financial mismanagement, irresponsibility, and corruption be fixed in just a few years?” he questioned.
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the BJP-led central government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been exploiting Karnataka’s resources, while state BJP leaders remained silent.
“This is akin to a lamb being skinned alive while it continues to graze, oblivious to its plight,” he remarked.