Date:17/09/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/09/17/stories/2006091703890400.htm

Karnataka - Belgaum

Preparations on for legislature meet

Staff Correspondent

Maiden session in Belgaum to be held for five days from September 25

Legislature secretariat officials visit Belgaum

District in-charge Minister to hold meeting on Tuesday

DISCUSSION: Officials discussing seating arrangements while inspecting the Kumar Gandharva Rangamandir in Belgaum on Saturday.

Belgaum: As preparations for holding a session of the legislature here are picking up momentum, officials are confident of having everything in place within a week, two days before the maiden session of the legislature gets under way on September 25.

Preparations to host the five-day session began within hours of the Government announcing on Wednesday evening that the legislature would meet in Belgaum.

However, there is change in the initial plan. The Legislative Assembly session will be held at the Memorial Auditorium on the campus of the K.L.E. Society's Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College at Nehru Nagar here. The Council will meet in the Kumar Gandharva Rangamandir in Shivaji Nagar.

The change in the venue was made after senior officials from the Vidhana Soudha arrived here on Friday to supervise the arrangements.

Council secretary Jayashankar Murthy, deputy secretary Ramana and Assembly under-secretary Mirza Mehdi inspected both the venues and held discussions with senior officials of the district. Omprakash, secretary to the Speaker of the Assembly, arrived on Saturday to examine the arrangements.

Mr. Murthy and his colleagues expressed satisfaction with the available facilities and suggested certain changes, including in the seating arrangement.

District in-charge Minister Shashikant A. Naik has convened a meeting of legislators and MPs from the district at the Deputy Commissioner's office at 11 a.m. on Tuesday.

Former legislators and MPs and representatives of Kannada organisations have also been invited to the meeting.