From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Oct 16: Faced with a barrage of criticism from some of the ruling and opposition leaders and members over the plans for a massive splurge of a whopping Rs 26.87 crore on the occasion to mark the diamond jubilee of Vidhana Soudha on October 25, the Karnataka Legislature has scaled down the plans and decided to drastically reduce the expenses.

Karnataka Legislative Council Chairman D H Shankaramurthy and Legislative Assembly Speaker K B Koliwad, who along with the State Legislature Secretariat staff had made the arrangements and even invited President Ram Nath Kovind without consulting the State Government, had proposed to present gold biscuits embossed with the emblem of the Vidhana Soudha to all members of both houses of the State Legislature and present silver plates to the Legislature staff as part of the plans to organise the celebrations in a grand manner.

The Assembly Speaker, during his interaction with the media on the justification for the massive expenditure, had snapped at the reporters for asking him on such things. ``We have sent the proposal to the Chief Minister. If you have questions, go and ask the Chief Minister. It is for the Finance Department to approve,’’ he said taking exception to media asking inconvenient questions as it was interested only in controversies.

While the Chief Minister has himself expressed surprise at the plans without offering any further comments, the State Finance Department, which comes under Siddaramaiah himself, has reportedly asked the Legislature Secretariat to prune the arrangements and cut down the expenditure to Rs 10 crore.

Now, Legislative Council Chairman D H Shankaramurthy on Monday said no proposal was sent to the Finance Department seeking funds for presenting the gold biscuits and the silver plates to 300 legislators.

Shankaramurthy said it was decided to give mementos to all present members of the State Legislative Assembly and Council.

He said, he was personally in favour of presenting a wooden plank engraved with the emblem of the Vidhana Soudha would be presented to legislators.

The Chairman said the expenditure would attract Goods and Service Tax (GST) to the tune of Rs 5 crore.

“We made only estimates of expenditure so far. The Finance Department has to approve the same and until then it is only a proposal,’’ he said.

Assembly Speaker K B Koliwad had said a proposal of Rs 26.87 crore has been submitted to the Finance Department.

Meanwhile, State Planning, Statistics and S&T Minister M R Seetharam said presenting expensive gifts to legislators “is not necessary” and it was not on the part of the legislators to receive such gifts.

Before making the proposal, the Legislature Secretariat should have discussed the issue of expensive gifts with the State Government to collection opinions, he said.

KPCC Working President Dinesh Gundu Rao, who represents the Gandhinagar assembly constituency, has also criticised the proposal for exorbitant expenditure as it was unwarranted.

Veteran journalist Patil Puttappa has also criticised the plans for splurging funds to mark the diamond jubilee of Vidhana Soudha, which was built by Kengal Hanumanthaiah 60 years ago at a cost of little over Rs 1.5 crore and the expenditure for the 10-day long world famous Dasara festival was hardly Rs 10 crore.

Incidentally, MLCs Marithibbe Gowda, Basavaraja Horatti, Puttanna, and Srikante Gowda have also opposed the plans for presenting expensive gifts to legislators and said they would not receive such gifts even if given.