Karnataka Assembly Speaker KB Koliwad denied media reports that he had sent a proposal to gift gold biscuits to lawmakers and silver plates to secretariat employees to celebrate 60 years of construction of iconic Vidhana Soudha, the seat of power.
He told the media in Bengaluru on Monday that there was no such proposal to distribute gold biscuits to MlAs and MlCs or silver plates to secretariat employees. He said,“ I don’t know how the media has been reporting this. We are not distributing any such thing.”
However, Koliwad said a proposal had been sent to the Finance Department to approve the Budget for commemorating the diamond jubilee of the Vidhana Soudha, which houses the legislative Assembly and Council, but there was no mention about giving gold biscuits and silver plates.
Reports in a section of the media had said if the assembly secretariat had its way, lawmakers would get the gold biscuits with the State emblem embossed on them. Each weighing 13 grams would have cost Rs 55,000, whereas each silver plate was priced at Rs 6,000.
"let me go through the newspapers. I will take necessary action (against them)," said Koliwad. Koliwad said he had not withdrawn the proposal pending before the finance department.
The Karnataka Government is geared up to celebrate the 60th (sixty years) anniversary of the Vidhana Soudha, known for its grandeur and regality. The construction of the building was commenced under the aegis of then Chief Minister Kengal Hanumanthaiah and completed in a record four years, exactly 50 years ago. The Government had employed convicts to build the structure. Built in neo-Dravidian architecture style, the foundation stone for the building was laid by the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru.
President Ram Nath Kovind will address the joint session of the Karnataka legislature on this occasion.