Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri is exploring options on ways of conducting the legislature session in September. Many State legislatures in the country may have to hold sessions in the next few months to meet the Constitutional requirement of holding session within six months of the previously-held one.
Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Kageri said he has begun discussing with the State government on holding the Assembly session and is also closely watching the steps to be taken by Parliament and State governments in order to conduct the session.
Budget session
“It is Constitutionally binding and we have to meet in September. We are discussing and exploring modalities of conducting the session, considering the COVID-19 pandemic gripping the country and the State,” he said. “The State legislature’s Budget session ended in March. So we have to meet in September.”
Article 174 of the Constitution stipulates that “six months shall not intervene between its last sitting in one session and the date appointment for its first sitting in the next session.”
The issue of holding the legislature session came up for discussion at a videoconference that Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had with presiding officers of State legislatures on April 21.
Congress demand
The principal Opposition Congress has been demanding the State legislature’s session to discuss issues related to handling of COVID-19 by the government and various amendments made to laws through Ordinances.
When The Hindu contacted former law Minister M.C. Nanaiah and sought his views on the matter, he said the session may be convened by asking members of all parties to attend by rotation. “Two-third members can attend sessions at a time wearing masks and maintaining social distance.”
On being asked about a virtual meeting of the legislature, Mr. Nanaiah said: “As of now, the Constitution does not provide provisions for conducting a virtual meeting of legislatures. By allowing all Cabinet Ministers to attend the session, he said “a limited presence of members at any given time may be an alternative for conducting a session.”
PAC meeting
When asked about the decision by the Speaker’s office to stop investigation by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) headed by Congress MLA H.K. Patil into alleged scam in purchase of COVID-19 materials, Mr. Kageri said: “It is not advisable to conduct meetings of members of PAC, officials, Assembly staff at a time when the pandemic is raging everywhere.”
Mr. Kageri said Mr. Patil himself postponed the PAC meetings. “He has stopped holding meetings of various committees for the time being,” the Speaker said.
