From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Aug 19: Changing track, Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker KagoduThimmappa on Tuesday said there was nothing wrong in legislators undertaking study tours in India and even foreign countries.

The Speaker, who spoke to reporters in Bangalore on Tuesday, said he personally felt the legislators will be able to discharge their functions better and serve the people of their respective constituencies if they undertake tours in different parts of the country and even abroad because only then they will have an opportunity to get firsthand experience and broaden their outlook.

"Teams of legislators will be constituted subject-wise to go abroad and study issues pertaining to industry, infrastructure, agriculture, horticulture, road etc," Thimmappa said.

He, however, said: "All tours should be purposeful and in the interest of development of the State."

Instead of tours by legislature committees, each team of 30 to 40 legislators would be formed subject-wise for undertaking foreign tours, the Speaker said.

Guidelines for Study Tours Framed

Thimmappa said an official committee comprising officials of the legislature Secretariat, has framed guidelines on organising tours for legislators.

A special board comprising the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra, Council Chairman D H Shankaramurthy and himself, would soon approve the guidelines.

New guidelines have been framed in the backdrop of the outcry over legislature committees undertaking tours.

Already two committees of the legislators have gone abroad.

The Speaker said tours by the legislators will continue, although the government did cancel one of them a few months ago following public outcry and the reported direction from the Congress high command.

CM should Rise to the Occasion, Deliver

Ruing absence of transparency in the state machinery, the Speaker felt the Chief Minister must rise up to respond to people's needs and aspirations.

Without mincing words, he said "I don't see any difference between previous governments and the incumbent Congress government. Things are moving in a snail pace even 15 months after coming to power.’

"The State Government has to become pro-active and address to people's problems. The Congress government came to power making several promises to the people and they have to fulfil," he said.

Transparency in Administration Not Visible

In an open remark against the functioning of the State administration, he said "I am not seeing any transparency in the State administration for which the bureaucracy is also responsible."

The Speaker said he wrote a letter to the State government six months ago highlighting things to be done in various departments to make them accountable.

However, the reply that he got was: "We have received your letter and will take necessary action.
Officials do not respond to letters written by general public. This tradition has been in practice for many years."

"The government machinery must respond to people's problems and that has to happen from village-level to state-level. Delays give scope for corruption," he said adding: "In my view, the government machinery must become more effective."

To a pointed question on whether Siddaramaiah has failed to deliver as the Chief Minister, Thimmappa was very candid in mentioning that he would not go to the extent of saying the Chief Minister has failed.

Ready to Shoulder Any Responsibility

"But I wish that he rises to the occasion and work towards fulfilling promises made to the people during the 2013 Assembly polls. The Chief Minister should pull up officials to extract work from them.

However, he is yet to use his powers effectively and crack the whip," he said.

To another question on whether he was keen on joining the Cabinet, the Speaker said: "I am not ready to go to Delhi with folded hands requesting the high command to make me minister. I have been elected as legislator by people of my constituency. However, I am ready to discharge any responsibility given to me."