Opposing the Karnataka Local Funds Authorities Fiscal Responsibilities Bill, on the grounds that it would pave way for financial irregularities, the Congress and the JD(S) MLCs staged a walkout from the Upper House on Monday.
The Bill was eventually passed.
The Bill seeks to recognise the Urban Development Department (with respect to Urban Local Bodies) and RDPR department (with regard to Panchayat Raj institutions) as competent authorities to oversee the compliance of the Act and for periodical review reports. Until now, the Accounts department was the competent authority for the same.
Raising objection to the Bill, Congress MLC PR Ramesh said that the proposed legislation paved way for financial irregularities. “By handing over the power to these departments, basically the government is ensuring that there is no financial accountability as there will be no one to monitor how these funds are being used. This will be an administrative disaster,” he said.
The MLC’s view was backed by other Opposition legislators too, who feared that by making this switch, these funds will be out of the purview of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and the Accounts department.
However, ruling party leader Kota Srinivas Poojary assured that the proposed legislation was only meant for administrative decentralisation, but it would not be out of the purview of the CAG to review finances.
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Published 21 September 2021, 16:16 IST