<p>Bengaluru: A fresh tussle has emerged between the legislature and the executive in the state, with Legislative Assembly Speaker U T Khader objecting to the proposed deployment of assembly Secretariat staff for census work.</p>.<p>In a strongly worded communication to Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) Commissioner Maheshwari Rao M, Assembly Secretariat Secretary M K Vishalakshi, writing on behalf of the Speaker, directed that no Secretariat officers or employees would be deputed for the exercise.</p>.<p>The letter flagged the Speaker’s “serious objection” to the GBA’s order, noting that the Secretariat had already clarified its independent constitutional status, akin to the Lok Sabha Secretariat, in an earlier communication (on March 27, 2026).</p>.<p>It stressed that the legislature is not subordinate to the executive and any attempt to impose “dual control” over Secretariat staff amounts to an affront to the dignity of the Speaker and the autonomy of the House.</p>.<p>Citing precedent, the Secretary pointed out that no other state deploys legislative staff to perform executive functions.</p>.Executive apathy a constitutional affront.<p>The communication also referred to a 2011 All India Presiding Officers’ Conference resolution, which underscored safeguards to ensure that legislative secretariats remain free from external control, drawing parallels with practices in institutions such as the British House of Commons.</p>.<p>The Secretariat further highlighted operational strain, noting that staff have been handling core legislative duties — including assisting presiding officers, managing members’ salaries and pensions, and supporting standing committees’ work — without any increase in sanctioned posts. Previous deputations for surveys and election-related work had disrupted functioning and drawn criticism from members, it noted.</p>.<p>In this backdrop, the Speaker has reiterated directions that Secretariat staff should not be deployed for executive assignments such as census work, elections, caste surveys, or voter list revisions going forward.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: A fresh tussle has emerged between the legislature and the executive in the state, with Legislative Assembly Speaker U T Khader objecting to the proposed deployment of assembly Secretariat staff for census work.</p>.<p>In a strongly worded communication to Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) Commissioner Maheshwari Rao M, Assembly Secretariat Secretary M K Vishalakshi, writing on behalf of the Speaker, directed that no Secretariat officers or employees would be deputed for the exercise.</p>.<p>The letter flagged the Speaker’s “serious objection” to the GBA’s order, noting that the Secretariat had already clarified its independent constitutional status, akin to the Lok Sabha Secretariat, in an earlier communication (on March 27, 2026).</p>.<p>It stressed that the legislature is not subordinate to the executive and any attempt to impose “dual control” over Secretariat staff amounts to an affront to the dignity of the Speaker and the autonomy of the House.</p>.<p>Citing precedent, the Secretary pointed out that no other state deploys legislative staff to perform executive functions.</p>.Executive apathy a constitutional affront.<p>The communication also referred to a 2011 All India Presiding Officers’ Conference resolution, which underscored safeguards to ensure that legislative secretariats remain free from external control, drawing parallels with practices in institutions such as the British House of Commons.</p>.<p>The Secretariat further highlighted operational strain, noting that staff have been handling core legislative duties — including assisting presiding officers, managing members’ salaries and pensions, and supporting standing committees’ work — without any increase in sanctioned posts. Previous deputations for surveys and election-related work had disrupted functioning and drawn criticism from members, it noted.</p>.<p>In this backdrop, the Speaker has reiterated directions that Secretariat staff should not be deployed for executive assignments such as census work, elections, caste surveys, or voter list revisions going forward.</p>
