Date:08/03/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/03/08/stories/2007030815410400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Congress threatens to move court

Special Correspondent

`It will be done if election to Council Chairman's post is delayed'

Development works hit, says Dharam Singh

`Government only making false promises'

BANGALORE: The Congress has threatened to move the court if the State Government does not conduct elections to the post of Chairman of the Legislative Council during the budget session of the State legislature.

Addressing presspersons here on Wednesday, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly N. Dharam Singh said the Congress would wait for some time to see whether the Government conducted the election during the budget session. If the Government postponed the elections again, the party would go to court. The Government had not honoured Governor T.N. Chaturvedi's message on holding the election, he charged.

Mr. Chaturvedi, in a letter written last month, had asked Legislative Council members to get the Chairman elected as early as possible. But officiating Chairman N. Thippanna did not communicate the Governor's message to members and adjourned the House. The Governor took strong exception to Mr. Thippanna's decision to adjourn the Council without reading his message.

Works affected

Mr. Singh alleged that development works had come to a standstill on account of differences in the ruling combine.

The Government had given an assurance that it would construct three lakh houses in 2006-07 and another six lakh next year by spending Rs. 500 crore. How can the Government build nine lakh houses with just Rs. 500 crore, he asked.

Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa had been announcing new programmes that could not be implemented.

On the Government's plan to ban sale of arrack and lotteries, he alleged that the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister had been making false promises and "fooling" the people.