Angered by the absence of almost all senior bureaucrats in the Upper House despite a warning issued recently, Legislative Council Chairman D.H. Shankaramurthy on Tuesday said that he would initiate action against them.
“This House has considered the issue of the absence of senior bureaucrats seriously and action will be taken against them,” he told the House, while responding to a demand by the Opposition members to deal with the issue.
“The absence of senior bureaucrats during the session will not bring respect to democracy,” he said even as the front row of the officials’ gallery, where the senior bureaucrats sit, was almost empty.
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As per schedule, six senior bureaucrats representing different departments were to be present in the Council and all of them were absent.
They are Principal Secretaries of the Public Enterprises Department and Public Works Department; and joint secretaries of the Finance Department (Services 2) and Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms, Deputy Secretary of Social Welfare Department and Additional Secretary of the Home Department (Law and Order).
Recalling that only a few days ago, the chairman had warned the bureaucrats against abstaining themselves from House sessions, the former Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda said that the fact that the bureaucrats had again abstained themselves from the session was an indication that they did not have respect for the House.
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While Janata Dal(S) floor leader M.C. Nanaiah suggested that contempt of House proceedings be initiated against the absent bureaucrats, Leader of the House S.R. Patil said that the government was willing to take action against them.