Bengaluru: Chief minister DK Shivakumar said Sunday that he is scheduled to host a meeting of all 40 members of Parliament from Karnataka Monday to discuss the drought situation in the state.Karnataka has 28 members in the Lok Sabha and 12 in the Rajya Sabha.Speaking to reporters after paying homage to the fallen soldiers on the occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas in Bengaluru, Shivakumar said the meeting is expected to see even Union ministers participate and discuss the issue.“Our intent is to provide the ground realities of the drought situation in Karnataka, as the MPs are our voice in Delhi. Hopefully they can secure some central assistance for the state,” he said.Shivakumar said the meeting will also seek the MPs’ support for pending state projects and works which require central assistance.
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On the participation of Union ministers, including steel and heavy industries minister HD Kumaraswamy and newly appointed education minister Pralhad Joshi, Shivakumar said he has reached out to them and hoped they will come for the meeting.Meanwhile, Shivakumar announced that it has been decided that the monsoon session of the state legislature will begin on Aug 13.It was earlier proposed that the session would begin on Aug 6 but was postponed due to the delay in cabinet formation and the NEET protest in Delhi.According to Shivakumar, the state cabinet expansion exercise will be concluded this week. With his presence in Delhi, it is expected that Shivakumar will meet the party high command and complete the cabinet expansion exercise.Ministers believe that the party high command will complete the entire exercise in one go, with all 20 vacant berths to be filled up in the next two to three days.
