Orders issued on legislators' fund

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, JULY 18. Orders have been issued by the Government to facilitate payment of Rs. 25 lakhs a year to each legislator under the Legislator Area Development Fund, the Home Minister, Mr. Mallikarjun Kharge, told the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday.

He said the orders had been issued three days ago along with guidelines on the manner of utilisation of the fund. The Speaker, Mr. M.V. Venkatappa, said the amount would be paid in two instalments, and the members would be formally informed within a week.

Earlier, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Jagadish Shettar, referred to the Government's announcement on setting up the Legislator Area Development Fund to enable members to take up projects which were not part of the Government's schemes or programmes.

The Rural Development Minister, Mr. M.Y. Ghorpade, informed Mr. Basavantareddy Motakpalli that the Centre had not yet communicated the allocation under the Prime Minister's Gram Sadak Yojana for 2001-2002 and, because of that, work could not be started. There was, therefore, no question of any delay in starting work. Last year, the Centre had released Rs. 103 crores as against Rs. 193 crores sought by the State, he added.

Several members, including Mr. Shettar and Mr. Venkatappa, expressed resentment over zilla panchayats not consulting legislators while selecting roads for improvement. Later, Mr. Venkatappa said he would take up the matter with the minister concerned.

Funds for education: In reply to a question from Mr. Subash Kallur, the Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, Mr. H. Vishwanath, admitted the expenditure on education incurred in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region was less than that in the other regions.

It was with a view to remove the inequality that the Government had decided to spend Rs. 192 crores out of Rs. 292- crore ``non- salary funds'' in the region. The Government had set up a separate education directorate for the seven districts in North Karnataka, he added.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : Conversion of milk coops opposed
Next     : Decision on KIOCL mining lease today