Mangaluru: Karnataka legislative assembly speaker UT Khader said that a workshop on various aspects of the state budget will be organised for MLAs and MLCs at The LaLiT Ashok Bengaluru, on Monday from 4 pm.He told reporters on Saturday that the workshop, organised ahead of the budget session, will be conducted by chief minister Siddaramaiah, who has the experience of presenting 17 budgets. “The workshop will provide insights into the significance of legislators attending the budget sessions, revenue collection, funds distribution, proper utilisation of the sanctions, and other aspects of the budgets. I was also not thorough with various aspects of the budget, including the surplus, deficit, supplement, and responsibilities of the legislators when I entered as an MLA. Legislators should know how to analyse a budget properly, so that they can raise questions during the session. This is possible only if legislators have thorough knowledge of the budget,” he said.The workshop will be conducted by an expert in the budget, Khader said. “It is not possible to find any other leader who has the experience of presenting state budgets 17 times in the nation. Hence, Siddaramaiah, who has an in-depth knowledge of the administrative system, will is the person for the workshop. This session will not be a discussion on the state budget presented on Friday,” he clarified, adding that such a workshop is being organised for the first time in the state.Senior officials from various departments and experts will also be part of the workshop. “It will be a workshop that combines practical and theoretical knowledge of state budgets. I have requested all MLAs and MLCs to attend the workshop compulsorily,” Khader said.In response to a query on the chief minister presenting a deficit budget and MLAs complaining about a lack of funds for development, the speaker said that the workshop has no connection with it. “Criticism is the beauty of Indian democracy. As a speaker of the assembly, I cannot comment on the budget. I can only ensure that MLAs are given the opportunity to take part in the discussion during the budget session. Though MLAs criticise the govt, foundation stone-laying ceremonies keep taking place in most of the constituencies,” he added.
