Siddaramaiah demands extension of Karnataka Assembly session till Oct 15

Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah has asked Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri to extend the monsoon session of the legislature till October 15 as “eight days will not be enough to discuss important issues.”

The session is slated to start on September 21 and would go on till September 30. It will have business for eight days.

“There is information that over 20 Ordinances and over 35 Bills are being laid,” Siddaramaiah said in a letter to Kageri.

“The people of the state are caught in an unprecedented situation with recurring floods and the Covid-19 pandemic due to which more than 6,500 people have died. The state is also shrouded under the dangerous drug activities,” he explained.

“The duration of the session will not be enough. It looks like the session is being held just for namesake without any concern towards people,” he said, citing the Karnataka Conduct of Government Business in the State Legislature Act, 2005, that stipulates that the House should be in session for not less than 60 days in a year.

“15 days in January, 20 in March, 15 in July and 15 in November...it should be of minimum 60 days every year with each session lasting ten days,” he said, accusing the BJP government of vitiating the Parliamentary system.