Assembly legislators’ foreign jaunts back after a break

Bengaluru: The controversial legislators' foreign tours that were shelved for some time following a public uproar, are likely to make a comeback. Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa has mooted the idea of reviving foreign tours. Instead of visiting overseas destinations of their choice, the legislators will have to identify the overseas destinations and go there to study specific issues and subjects.

"We will soon constitute teams subject-wise to go abroad and study issues pertaining to industry, infrastructure, agriculture, horticulture, road development etc," Mr Thimmappa said adding that all tours should be meaningful. Some time back, the government had cancelled the foreign tour of one of the committees following the public outcry and the reported direction from the Congress high command.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Mr Thimmappa disclosed that guidelines were framed by officials of the secretariat and a special board comprising Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Law Minister T.B. Jayachandra, himself and Council Chairman D.H. Shankaramurthy, would go through the draft and give its assent.

"The new guidelines have been framed in the backdrop of the public outcry against the legislature committees undertaking foreign tours," he clarified. "Three-to-four teams of legislators will be constituted to go to one or two countries. Tours will be organised from this year itself," Mr Thimmappa announced.

The report to be submitted by the committees which embark on such foreign tours should be on specific issues and not of a general nature which would not be useful to anyone, the Speaker explained.