Two bills passed in Karnataka Assembly without debate as opposition BJP, JD(S) stage protest

Bengaluru: Two bills were passed in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Friday without debate, following a protest by the opposition BJP and JD(S) against the Congress government over passing resolutions targeting the Narendra Modi-led administration at the Centre.

The Karnataka Legislature (Prevention of Disqualification) (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Karnataka Land Revenue (Amendment) Bill, 2024 were passed amidst a din as the BJP and JD(S) members shouted slogans against the government from the well of the house.

Piloted by Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil for the consideration of the House, the Karnataka Legislature (Prevention of Disqualification) (Amendment) Bill further amends the 1956 Act.

It makes provisions to exempt the office of the Advisor to the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, Chairman or Member to any Commission and the Vice Chairman of the State Institute for Transformation of Karnataka from incurring disqualification for being an MLA or MLC on such appointment.

The Karnataka Land Revenue (Amendment) Bill, 2024 further amends the 1964 act, to make a provision for nomination of any person in the committee formed to regularise the unauthorised cultivation of agricultural land concerned, to the respective assembly constituency (Bagar Hukum Committee), by the state government.

The present provision of the act says that the member of the assembly is to be one of the members of the committee, but in some cases if the member of the concerned assembly constituency is not willing to be a member of the committee or if the seat of the member of the assembly is vacant, then constituting the committee is delayed.

Taking a serious note, the high court had earlier issued directions to remove encroachments on government land and to form the committee immediately. Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, who piloted this bill, said the nomination of any person from the assembly constituency in the committee will be made only on the written request of the MLA that he is not willing to or expressing his inability to be a member.