Oppn MLAs question NGO report on their performance

Some Opposition MLAs have questioned the credibility of a report by Rezorce, a Bangalore-based NGO which has evaluated the “performance” of legislators in the current Legislative Assembly.

The report, ‘Karnataka Legislature Performance’: Performance of 14th Karnataka Legislature – I to III sessions’, was released by Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa recently.

Before that, the Rezorce director Narendra K V had released its copies to the media.

It mainly shows MLAs’ attendance, the number of questions asked by them and their participation in discussions, etc.

The report has also named the legislators. Raising the issue, BR Patil of the KJP said the Rezorce report was factually incorrect. “It says I never opened my mouth in the House. That is incorrect. A lot of damage has been done to my reputation,” he charged.

Joining the issue, JD(S) members H D Kumaraswamy, YSV Datta and S R Mahesh said raising questions in the House could not be the basis to judge the performance of an MLA.

The questions ought to be raised may go as unstarred (getting only written replied from the ministers without being debated). The criteria for the assessment are wrong, they said.

The members also wanted to know the background of the agency which had done the study. They asked the chair who provided information to the agency.

Law Minister T B Jayachandra said the government had not commissioned the study but hastened to add that anybody could get information under the RTI.

The Speaker said: “I had released the report. I will get the content of the report verified by the secretariat. If there are mistakes, then suitable action would be taken.”