Bengaluru, March 18: Karnataka Assembly Speaker U.T. Khader has expressed serious concern regarding the government’s delay in responding to legislators’ questions. He has directed relevant ministers and officials to expedite their responses.
This issue emerged a day after the Speaker suspended the assembly session, where he criticized the Congress-led government for failing to answer unstarred questions despite repeated warnings.
Home Minister G. Parameshwara informed the assembly that only 58 out of 221 questions listed for the day would be addressed. The government has already discussed this matter and is taking corrective measures.
Parameshwara stated that the government took this issue seriously on Monday and issued directives to ministers and the Chief Secretary. The Chief Minister warned that failure to provide answers could lead to suspensions. He expressed confidence that the situation would improve the following day.
Speaker Khader provided a detailed account of the responses received from various departments, noting that several ministries failed to answer a significant number of questions.
According to him, the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) received 23 questions but only answered six. The Finance Department responded to six out of 33 questions. The Scheduled Tribe Welfare Department failed to answer any of the nine questions posed, and the Youth Empowerment and Sports Department did not respond to any of the ten questions sent to them.
Similarly, the Cooperation Department did not answer any of the twelve questions, while the Water Resources Department responded to only four out of 33. The Urban Development Department answered eight of the 21 questions, and the Tourism Department addressed just one out of 25. In contrast, the Minor Irrigation Department answered eight out of thirteen questions.
Khader mentioned that discussions were held on this matter on Monday, and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has issued directives to ensure responses are provided. He acknowledged that preparing answers might take two to three days but stressed that officials must take this issue seriously.
Meanwhile, BJP MLA Mahesh Tenginakai expressed frustration over the Chief Minister’s office requesting additional time to respond to his questions. He questioned the utility of the answers if they arrive after the assembly session concludes.
Speaker Khader intervened, acknowledging that legislators are known for their time constraints and that their frustration is understandable. He assured that he would speak with the Chief Minister to ensure they receive answers to their questions.
On Monday, Khader expressed strong dissatisfaction, stating that the government had been warned multiple times about the need to prepare timely responses. He raised concerns about how legislators could be expected to attend the assembly if their questions remain unanswered.
Highlighting the lack of improvement, the Speaker questioned how the assembly could function smoothly if such negligence continued. He declared that proceedings would not advance until ministers and officials provide explanations for the delays, after which the assembly was adjourned.
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