Date:14/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/14/stories/2008121453750500.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

‘Have your own websites’

Special Correspondent

Kalam overwhelmed by ideas of MLAs, MLCs

Kalam receives
81 responses to
his questions
Legislators told to develop certain core competencies

BANGALORE: The former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has urged legislators to have their own websites to communicate with the people of their respective constituencies.

Apparently overwhelmed by the innovative ideas and suggestions made by the first-time legislators in response to the questionnaire he had sent prior to the orientation camp organised for them, Dr. Kalam said that each legislator could have a website for communicating with the people on issues related to their respective constituencies.

Dr. Kalam said that he was delighted to receive a quick and fast response from the legislators to the questions he had posed for the development plan of their constituencies. “I have received 81 responses. I never expected so many responses in such a short span of time,” he said.

Dr. Kalam requested Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Jagadish Shettar to consolidate the e-mails and issue an Assembly report titled, “Dreams of new members of Karnataka Legislative Assembly and Council”.

Dr. Kalam quoted certain innovative plans that had caught his imagination. He asked the legislators to develop certain core competencies and exchange ideas and views so that they could tackle many problems faced by the people.

The former President later fielded questions from the legislators on a variety of issues ranging from energy and communalism to bio-fuels and election expenditure.