Karnataka legislators’ trip to China draws flak

Notwithstanding the barrage of public criticism against their proposed foreign trip at a time when various parts of the State were reeling under natural calamities like floods, about 180 legislators of Karnataka are preparing to embark on a fortnight-long tour of China in four different batches beginning from the third week of August.

Though the Karnataka Government had sponsored a “study tour” for all the 225 MLAs and 75 MLCs of the State, more than a 100 legislators had opted out of the trip, citing various reasons including personal.

But, about 180 legislators, who are eager to fly to China, had been divided into four batches of 45 each for the trip. The itinerary of two batches has been finalized. The first batch of 45 legislators, accompanied by five officials, will leave for Shanghai on August 22 while the second batch will head to Beijing on August 27. Two other batches will follow them in September for the fortnight-long tour of China.

Though the legislators’ visit to China had been planned in response to an invitation extended by People’s Congress of China under the Indo-China Friendship programme, the foreign trip has come under severe criticism in view of the grim situation prevailing in many parts of the state on account of the monsoon fury and the accompanying floods.

The public outcry against the foreign trip has grown louder, particularly in the wake of the Karnataka Government knocking on the doors of the Federal Government for financial assistance to fund relief measures. With the State Government bearing the entire expenditure of the foreign trip, which works out to around Rs 200,000 for each legislator, various sections of the public in Karnataka are wondering whether such a trip was necessary under the prevailing scenario.

Though annoyed by the barrage of public criticism, Deputy Speaker of Karnataka Assembly N Y Gopalakrishna, who is also the Chairman of the Tour Committee, said the trip was aimed at studying the development modules in China.

Vehemently defending the trip and also the expenditure involved in it, Gopalakrishna said the Government earmarks about Rs 200,000 a year for every legislator to take up study tours, which are normally undertaken within the country. “Over a period of five years, which is the normal tenure of the legislator, each one of them is entitled to Rs one million. But, the expenditure per legislator for the trip is working out to less than Rs 200,000”, he said.

During the visit, the host country will be making arrangements for the Karnataka legislators’ visits to various educational institutions, hospitals, universities, special economic zones, besides fields visits to agricultural areas, he said.