JOIN USUnmindful of criticism from all quarters, another team of about 18 MLAs is now set to go on a 15-day foreign junket.
The Estimates Committee of the Legislative Assembly headed by BJP legislator Abhay Patil is scheduled to fly on September 26. The committee members are scheduled to visit various places of tourist attraction in Russia and Europe. The committee comprises nine BJP MLAs, six Congress MLAs and two JD(S) MLAs.
A 12-member Public Undertaking Committee, which also comprises MLAs of all three political parties, left Bangalore on a foreign tour last week. The committee is scheduled to visit Argentina, Brazil, Peru and Chile in South America.
The expenditure per MLA is between Rs 8 lakh and Rs 9 lakh. Altogether, about 100 MLAs of various Legislature committees are scheduled to go on junkets this year. The government has set aside Rs 8 crore for the purpose.
The MLAs are apparently least bothered about opposition from their own party leaders. The leaders had stated that it is not proper to go on junkets when people are reeling under drought in the State.
Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar had urged the MLAs to drop the plan, while former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa had said that people should teach these MLAs an appropriate lesson in the next elections.
Similarly, leaders of the principal Opposition party Congress too had opposed the tour. Though the JD(S) leaders opposed it, they blamed the government for giving them permission to holiday.
Interestingly, none of the parties is ready to initiate disciplinary action against these MLAs.
Sources said some members of the Estimates Committee are now in a dilemma on their tour plan, especially in the wake of mounting criticism. Members of the Committee are:
Abhay Patil, Veeranna Charantimutt, M K Pattana Shetty, Karadi Sanganna, Nemiraj Nayak, Derrick M B Fullinfaw, K Lakshminarayana, Doddanagouda Patil, V S Patil, V Muniyappa, Sharana Prakash Patil, H S Mahadev Prasad, Amaregouda Bayyapur, Prakash Hukkeri, H C Balakrishna and Bandeppa Kashempur.