Why Is Pralhad Joshi Skipping K’taka Government’s All-Party Meeting?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Pralhad Joshi will miss the all-party meeting due to parliamentary obligations.
- The Karnataka government is seeking increased funding and project approvals.
- Opposition leaders are being consulted for rescheduling the meeting.
- Coordination among political leaders is crucial for development discussions.
- The absence of key ministers highlights the workload during the Winter Session.
New Delhi, Dec 3 (NationPress) The Union Minister for Food, Public Distribution, Consumer Affairs, New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, announced on Wednesday that he will not be able to participate in the meeting of MPs called by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah due to the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament and significant official commitments.
In response, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar assured that a new date would be arranged that suits the opposition party leaders.
The Karnataka government is set to convene a meeting of all MPs and union ministers to advocate for increased funding for the state and expedite project approvals from the Centre.
In a correspondence to the Chief Minister, Minister Joshi expressed his inability to attend and remarked that it would have been more convenient if the date had been determined after consulting the MPs.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has scheduled a meeting on December 8 in New Delhi with MPs from Karnataka to address the state's development challenges and to draw the Centre's attention to unresolved issues.
His letter states, “As you know, the Winter Session of Parliament is in progress. The workload during such sessions is substantial, with several financial bills slated for introduction. Therefore, all ministers are burdened with urgent responsibilities concerning the Parliament session and our individual ministries.”
Minister Pralhad Joshi further noted that, “It would have been more convenient if the Chief Minister had consulted with us prior to finalizing the date.”
Additionally, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State for Railways and Jal Shakti V. Somanna, and Minister of State for Labour & Employment and MSME Shobha Karandlaje have also indicated their inability to attend the meeting, as stated by Joshi.
Meanwhile, Shivakumar clarified in Bengaluru on Wednesday that all-party meetings would be rescheduled, with a new date set according to the convenience of opposition leaders.
Shivakumar stated: “The all-party meeting originally planned for December 8 in New Delhi is likely to be postponed due to specific technical reasons. We had aimed to include leaders from the opposition parties in this meeting, but they are creating obstacles. Thus, the Chief Minister and I will deliberate on the matter and establish a date that is suitable for the opposition parties.”