Speaker K B Koliwad decides not to entertain MLAs' tour proposal

Bengaluru: In view of severe drought across the State, Legislative Assembly

Speaker K B Koliwad has decided not to give his consent to the proposed study tour of 18 MLAs that is scheduled to commence on May 9.

According to reliable sources, the MLAs had planned to tour Kerala, Gujarat, West Bengal, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands for eight days from May 9. Several senior legislators of the Congress were part of the 18-member team.

However, Koliwad has told officials of the Assembly Secretariat not to entertain any tour proposals of legislators till the next session of the State legislature.

As many as 160 taluks, of the total 176 in the State, have been declared drought hit and it would not be good on the part of the legislators to go to the tour, the Speaker told the officials and justified the cancellation of the tour.

 Koliwad has decided to take a decision on the future tours of MLAs during the next Assembly session after holding consultations with the Chief Minister and legislators, sources said. Former Speaker Kagodu Thimmppa too had rejected the tour proposals of the legislators citing drought.