Now, Council chairman seeks control over parts of Vidhana Soudha

Now, it is the turn of Legislative Council Chairman D H Shankarmurthy to seek control of certain portions of the Vidhana Soudha.

He has also written a letter to this effect to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, the Council chairman said, “We want some rooms on the first and second floors of Vidhana Soudha under the Council’s purview. Rooms have been allotted to the Council staff on the third floor of the Vidhana Soudha. The Council hall is on the first floor. Hence, it becomes difficult to function during the legislature session.”

He said the maintenance of the rooms could be entrusted to any agency, including the public works department. The permission of the legislature secretariat is compulsory to make changes in the structure, he added.


Defends Koliwad

He also said Legislative Assembly Speaker K B Koliwad has done nothing wrong in issuing an order to take over the maintenance and control of Vidhana Soudha. A similar system exists in other states, Shankaramurthy said.

It is learnt that Koliwad has so far not returned the custody of Vidhana Soudha, Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi and Legislators’ Home, to the public works department.

The state Cabinet, at its recent meeting, had raised objections to the speaker’s decision in this regard. Public Works Minister H C Mahadevappa was authorised to hold talks with the speaker to sort out the issue. When asked whether he would withdraw his order, Koliwad did not offer any categorical reply.