The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Governor suggests ethics panel for Council

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Wednesday, Jul 25, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Governor suggests ethics panel for Council

Special Correspondent

Addresses members of the House on the occasion of the celebration of its centenary

— Photo: Bhagya Prakash K.

Memento: Governor T.N. Chaturvedi (centre) receiving a memento from Legislative Council Chairman B.K. Chandrashekar (left) and Assembly Speaker Krishna at the centenary celebrations of the Legislative Council in Bangalore on Tuesday.

Bangalore: Expressing concern that many allegations of misdemeanours had cast a shadow on politics and the political class in the country, Governor T.N. Chaturvedi on Tuesday suggested that the Legislative Council set up an Ethics Committee.

In his address to the members of the Legislative Council on the occasion of its centenary, the Governor said, “Lakshman Rekha has been for a long time the buzzword both in politics and in popular parlance. I wish and pray that we may now strive to make a sincere beginning to practise it.”

He asked the members to remind themselves that when tempers rise in the heat of discussion, they are only political opponents and not political enemies. This would help prevent needless acrimony and hurt feelings. This was more relevant and essential in the era of changing coalition politics.

“The question of character and conduct, while important in every walk of life, is of paramount significance for the legislators, who always operate under a crystal gaze,” he said.

He sought to draw the attention of the legislators to the Preamble of the Constitution which talks of “We the people”. He reminded them that it was not just “me and my region”, “me and my family”, “me and my party” and “me and my caste”. It meant people of the State, country and people whom they represent. If the legislature was vigilant, the entire administration would be compelled to work for the common good.

In view of the increasing complexity and magnitude of administrative issues and socio-economic problems, the Governor suggested the setting up of an organisation like the Bureau of Parliamentary Studies and Training, which exists in Parliament. This institute would not only organise seminars and orientation programmes on parliamentary practices and functional problems but also provides material for the members to prepare themselves in any particular area.

He asked the legislators to study the problems of people objectively and attend to issues and problems that came to their notice through the media. He cautioned them against knee-jerk reaction without proper verification as that would only create sensationalism. People needed solutions to their grievances and not sensationalism, he reminded them.

The Governor sought to put an end to the feeling that Council members were not being treated on a par with their Assembly counterparts by the government machinery. This matter had been settled long back in Parliament and there was no reason to harbour any doubt that both the Houses were co-equal. He asked the Government to pay attention to this sensitive matter and to ensure that the official machinery was conscious of this settled matter so that needless misgivings did not arise.

‘Anti-constitutional’

Council Chairman B.K. Chandrashekar said the present system in which the Assembly and Council secretariats had to take permission from the Finance Department for recruitments and purchases was anti-constitutional.

He said such a system made the legislature look like a department of the Government. Hence, the process of putting an end to it had begun.

Explaining how the Council was set up as the Nyaya Vidhayaka Sabhe in 1907 and the various issues taken up by the House so far, he called upon members of the Council to focus on issues that had not been touched upon so far. This included the development of science and technology and social change, which was happening outside the purview of the Government in the age of globalisation.

Chief Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy hailed the progressive approach of the legislature and noted that legislation enacted by it on reservation, much before the rest of the country thought of it, was an indication of its progressive attitude.

Speaker Krishna stressed the importance of making the Council a think tank. It would be better if only experienced people aged above 45 became members of the Upper House.

Floor leaders and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly were invited to the Council to take part in the celebrations.

The former Council Chairmen D. Manjunath and M.V. Venkatappa and Assembly Deputy Speaker N.Y. Gopalakrishna also attended the celebrations, while 22 MLAs watched from the visitors’ gallery. A documentary on the Council’s history was screened before the function began.

Joint session

Prof. Chandrashekar told presspersons later that a joint session of the legislature would be held, tentatively in the Banquet Hall of the Vidhana Soudha, for the grand celebrations of the Council’s centenary on August 3.

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