The scene may not be different in the session commencing from February 25 with the Governor’s address at the joint session at 12 noon. Assembly speaker Bopaiah is keen on taking up at least two bills for discussion on a daily basis during the forthcoming Budget session, which is scheduled to conclude on March 26.
Though the date for presenting the budget proposal for 2010-11 is yet to be notified, Chief Minister Yeddyurappa has indicated that it would be on March 5. When asked if the session would yet again be witness to flared tempers, display of lung power by the Opposition leaders, failed attempts by the last benchers to raise issues besides protracted debates till late in the evening, Bopaiah just said, “I cannot comment. I have called a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee on Thursday to discuss how to prioritise the issues to be discussed.”
As per the agenda of the Assembly, six new bills, five bills for reconsideration and seven bills for discussion are slated to come up in the session to be held for 21 working days. Home Minister V S Acharya’s statement that the State government was firm about banning cow slaughter has already generated a lot of debate and opposition. Given this, it is definitely not going to be a smooth sail for the Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter & Cattle Preservation (Amendment) Bill, 2009.
Religious conversion bill
The government, which has the draft bill on prohibition of religious conversion ready, may not take the risk of introducing it this time as the cow slaughter bill itself is bound to come under fire by the Opposition. The draft bill is modelled on the Madhya Pradesh government’s legislation.
The bill prohibits any attempt to convert any person from one religious faith to another by use of force or allurement or by any fraudulent means. The violation of this may attract imprisonment for one year with Rs 5,000 as fine, or both.
Bills introduced
The bills which have already been introduced but scheduled for discussion are:
The Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2009;
Karnataka State Civil Services (Amendment) Bill, 2009;
The Karnataka Government Parks (Preservation) (Amendment) Bill, 2009; Karnataka Sanskrit Veda University Bill, 2009; and Karnataka Rent (Amendment) Bill, 2008. Among the bills that may come up for reconsideration is the Karnataka Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2007.
To be tabled
* Code of Criminal Procedure (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2009.
* Karnataka Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2009.
* Bangalore Water Supply & Sewerage (Amendment) Bill, 2009.
* Karnataka Town & Country Planning (Amendment) Bill, 2009.
* Karnataka Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation & Development) (Amendment) Bill, 2009.
* Land Acquisition (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2009.
