All 300 Karnataka legislators to go on foreign junkets

All the 300 legislators of Karnataka belonging to both Houses of the State Legislature will be going on foreign jaunts to different parts of Europe and China in four different batches shortly.

Disclosing this reporters, Karnataka Assembly Speaker Krishna said all the 225 MLAs and 75 MLCs will be part of four delegations constituted by the Government to visit parts of Europe and China to study the development models in those countries.

“We want the legislators to study the development modules adopted by China and countries in Europe so that they can be replicated here. I realized this after my recent visit to China”, Krishna said.

Claiming that his recent visit to China was “inspirational”, Krishna said the development projects in China were taking shape fast with the Government relaxing rules and regulations to facilitate development.

Each batch of legislators, comprising about 60 to 65, accompanied by an IAS officer and officials from the Secretariat will go abroad for about two weeks.

With the first batch comprising JD (S) legislators scheduled to leave for China and Hong Kong on June 18, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy called on Speaker Krishna on Tuesday seeking the postponement of the legislature session scheduled to start on June 22. The 30-day legislature session will now begin on July 2.

The remaining three batches of legislators will have to wait for the legislature session to conclude to begin their foreign jaunts in August.

Though Kumaraswamy was scheduled to lead the delegation of JD (S) legislators to China and Hong Kong, he told reporters that he had decided against proceeding on the foreign jaunt in view of the drought situation gripping the State and the continuing suicides of farmers.

“I am not going on the foreign tour though I have been asked even by the Indian Government to visit China. I went on a foreign tour only twice after I became the Chief Minister, that too for attracting foreign investment to the State”, Kumaraswamy said.

However, Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa will lead a batch of BJP legislators to Europe.

According to officials in Government Secretariat, the Government will be incurring an expenditure of at least Rs 200,000 per person on the foreign junket.