From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Apr 30: Even as people of several districts in Karnataka are facing severe drinking water crisis, especially in over 700 villages, and the State Government has already declared 125 of 176 taluks in State as drought hit, the State Legislators are planning to undertake a ''study tour” of Australia and New Zealand in the fourth week of May.
While Australia is known for its Kangaroos, New Zealand is famous for Kiwis and people of both countries are passionate about cricket like India.
The decision to go on a foreign junket at tax-payer’s cost was taken by the members of the State Legislative Assembly Committee on Government Assurances at its meeting in the Vidhana Soudha on Wednesday.
The State Legislative Assembly Committee on Government Assurances is headed by former minister and Congress MLA from Mysore district Tanvir Sait.
It is understood that the Committee decided to take up the tour of Australia and New Zealand and discussed tour dates and other plans and programmes.
JD(S) MLA and party spokesman Y S V Datta, who is one of the members, told reporters in the Vidhana Soudha, that he was not interested to go abroad at time when several parts of the State were reeling under severe drought and facing drinking water shortage.
The Tanvir Sait-led Committee of the State Assembly on Government Assurances had its meeting for discussing programmes and assurances of the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department following severe drinking water shortage in various districts of the State.
But, obviously, the foreign tour must have taken precedence over the problems of the people.
It is learnt that the legislators, who were involved in hectic electioneering work in the just concluded Lok Sabha polls, planned to undertake tour after the declaration of the Lok Sabha elections results on May 16.
However, it may be recalled that the State Assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa had constituted a committee last year following a controversy over the foreign junket of legislators, which resulted in nation-wide criticism, to frame guidelines for foreign tours of legislators.
But the panel constituted to frame guidelines was yet to complete its work.
Though the State Assembly Committee on Government Assurances, has almost finalised plans for the foreign tour, a formal request was yet to be submitted to the Speaker’s office.
It is also not known whether the Speaker will give the approval for the foreign tour.
Members of the Legislature Committee for the Welfare of Backward Classes and Minorities headed by B R Yavagal, former minister, had came under sharp criticism from the Opposition parties as well the public on that grounds tours were undertaken when the State was reeling under drought.
The B R Yavagal Committee members had visited several countries, including Brazil during January last year.