The severe drought which has gripped 142 taluks in the state, has not deterred MLAs and MLCs from going on foreign jaunts utilising public funds. Come September, the legislators who are part of three House Committees will be off on a whirlwind tour of South America, Europe, Asia and Africa as part of a ‘study tour’. Strangely, the overseas travel plans have been drawn up, even after former CM B.S. Yeddyurappa, during the recently concluded Legislative session, strongly opposed any elected representative going on such tours, when the state was facing one of the worst droughts.
Former CM D.V. Sadananda Gowda too was not in favour of foreign jaunts. But his successor Jagadish Shettar seems to have taken a soft stand on the issue. Mr Shettar who has the authority to stop foreign jaunts indefinitely, seems to have passed the buck to the Speaker stating that he has the discretion to allow or disallow such tours. Mr Shettar’s stand is not only contradictory to that of his predecessors, it is also seen as an attempt to keep the MLAs and MLCs in good stead and his flock together till the end of his tenure.
Only two teams of legislators have finalised the tour. The Public Undertakings Committee will be visiting Brazil, Argentina and Peru between September 2 and 17, the Housing Committee and Petitions Committee will jointly visit St Petersburg, Moscow, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Israel, Egypt and Dubai between September 24 and October 10. The committees on Papers Laid, Estimates, Privileges, Government Assurances and Local Bodies and Panchayati Raj Institutions are yet to announce their schedule.