Pandemonium in K'taka Council over Chairman's vote

Bangalore, Apr 13 (UNI) Pandemonium prevailed in the Karnataka Legislative Council today when the Karnataka Panchayati Raj Amendment Bill, 2007, was passed after the House Chairman cast the deciding vote in favour of the Government.

After a discussion on the Bill, introduced by Panchayati Raj Minister C M Udasi, House Chairman Prof B K Chandrasekhar put the Bill to vote. With the main Opposition Congress, JD(U) and independent members voting against the Bill, it got equal votes from the Opposition and Treasury benches. The trouble started when the Chairman, belonging to the Congress, cast his vote in favour of the Government after it was tied at 22 each.

The Opposition members, showing their anguish over the passage of the Bill, tore copies of the Bill, threw it at the Chairman and raised slogans.

Mr Chandrasekhar tried in vain to pacify the agitated members and adjourned the House for 15 minutes.

Earlier, intervening in the discussion, the Chairman appealed to the Minister to review the Bill as it amounted to taking away the powers of the panchayat members and weakening the concept of decentralisation of powers. Before casting his vote, Mr Chandrasekhar asked the Minister to take effective measures not to dilute the fundamentals of the functioning of the Panchayati Raj system.

UNI