Speaker meets CM Siddaramaiah over unanswered questions; govt assures such incident does not happen again
Bengaluru: Karnataka Assembly Speaker, U.T. Khader, on Monday, convened a meeting with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka, Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh and other senior Congress leaders regarding the issue of unanswered questions in the state Assembly, which had earlier led the Speaker to express displeasure with the state government and adjourn the House.
The development has been seen as a setback for the ruling Congress-led state government.
After the House proceedings resumed, State Home Minister G. Parameshwara told the Assembly about the meeting and assured Assembly members that the state government had taken the matter seriously and would initiate measures to ensure that such an incident does not recur.
Speaking in the House, Home Minister Parameshwara said, “Over the last four to five days, the Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka and senior BJP MLA S. Suresh Kumar have expressed dissatisfaction regarding the number of written answers provided for unstarred questions. They (Opposition) claimed that out of nearly 200 questions, not even half had been answered. LoP Ashoka said that such a situation would not bring honour to the state government.”
He added that the Assembly Speaker Khader had also issued directions and the state government had promised to provide answers.
“This morning, out of 234 questions, only 84 were answered. Naturally, the issue was raised. The Leader of the Opposition expressed his displeasure and the Assembly Speaker adjourned the House. Such developments are rare, and it is unusual for the House to be adjourned under such circumstances,” Parameshwara said.
The Karnataka Home Minister noted that this was only the second or third time in the history of the state Assembly that such an incident had occurred.
He said the Assembly Speaker had spoken to the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka and other Congress leaders, and that the state Chief Secretary had also been called for the meeting.
“It has been conveyed that notices will be issued to all departmental secretaries. If a large number of questions remain pending, the Chief Minister has recommended that action, including suspension, may be considered,” Parameshwara added.
He said the state government had already taken the matter seriously after the Assembly Speaker raised objections.
“Accordingly, the Chief Minister has issued directions. In some departments, such as the Revenue Department, out of 90 questions only 20 were answered. Similar situations were found in other departments as well,” Parameshwara added.
“I assure on behalf of the Chief Minister and the state government that such a situation will not arise again in the future and that answers will be provided,” the Home Minister said.
Leader of the Opposition Ashoka said, “For the past week, we have been bringing this issue to the notice of the Speaker. Today, to uphold the dignity of the Chair, you have taken a firm decision, and we welcome it. In several cases, government officers do not attend at all. For instance, in the Housing Department, out of 31 questions only four were answered.”
He alleged that government officials had not taken the matter seriously.
“Even after directions from the Chair, the state Chief Secretary appears to have neglected the issue. I congratulate you for your decision. Mere threats of suspension will not affect some officers. There are IAS officers, who have reportedly not attended office for eight to nine months. They have time to play golf but still draw salaries,” BJP leader Ashoka said.
He added that it was the duty of state government officials to respect the authority of the Chair.
“Today’s development is a record. The state government should suspend officers who have shown disrespect to the House. Ministers must also ensure that IAS officers are made accountable; only then will the system function smoothly,” LoP Ashoka said.
State BJP Secretary and MLA, V. Sunil Kumar, said that this was the first time in the history of the Assembly that the Chair had adjourned the House over such an issue.
He added that the Assembly Speaker’s move had upheld the dignity of the Chair.
In a setback to the Congress-led government, Speaker Khader, on Monday, adjourned the House, sharply criticising the state government for failing to provide answers to unstarred questions in a written format to questions raised by state MLAs despite repeated warnings from the Chair.
Expressing strong dissatisfaction, Assembly Speaker said the state government had been warned multiple times to ensure that replies to legislators’ questions were prepared in time.
“If the state government fails to answer questions of MLAs, why should they even come to the Assembly? How is this fair? I have already issued strict orders four times and this is the fifth time,” he added.
Stating that there had been no improvement from the government side, the Speaker questioned how the House could function smoothly if such lapses continued.
“If this is the attitude of the state government, how are we supposed to run the House in a manner agreeable to all?” he asked.
Speaker Khader also declared that the House proceedings would not continue until the concerned Ministers and officials explained the reason for the delay in answering questions.
“Until the concerned Ministers and officials come to me and explain what the issue is, I will not conduct the House. I am adjourning the House,” he said.
Earlier, after the Question and Answer session, Home Minister Parameshwara told the House on behalf of the state government that of the 230 questions that were to be answered in written format, 84 had been answered.