Bengaluru, March 17 (NationPress) The Speaker of the Karnataka Assembly, U.T. Khader, expressed concern on Tuesday regarding the government's slow responses to queries from legislators.

He mentioned that instructions had been issued to relevant ministers and officials to ensure timely submission of replies.

This issue came to light following the Speaker’s decision to adjourn the Assembly on Monday, where he criticized the Congress-led government for not answering unstarred questions despite multiple reminders from the Chair.

Home Minister G. Parameshwara reported that from the 221 questions scheduled for discussion, only 58 responses would be provided during the session. He assured that the government had recognized the concern and was taking corrective measures.

Parameshwara noted that the government acted seriously on March 16, issuing directives to ministers and the Chief Secretary. He also indicated that the Chief Minister had cautioned that suspensions could be a consequence of failing to provide answers, and he was optimistic about an improvement the following day.

Speaker Khader elaborated on the response status from various departments, highlighting that several ministries had not submitted answers to a significant number of inquiries. He pointed out that the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) had been posed with 23 questions but only managed to answer six. Similarly, the Finance Department responded to six out of 33 questions, while the Scheduled Tribes Welfare Department failed to respond to any of the nine questions put forth, and the Youth Empowerment and Sports Department also did not answer any of the ten questions directed at it.

Moreover, the Cooperation Department did not respond to any of the 12 questions, and the Water Resources Department answered only four out of 33 questions. The Urban Development Department managed to respond to 8 of 21 questions, while the Tourism Department provided a mere one response out of 25. In contrast, the Minor Irrigation Department answered 8 out of 13 inquiries.

Khader mentioned that the matter had been discussed on Monday and that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had given directions to ensure answers were delivered. He acknowledged that preparing responses could take two to three days but emphasized that officials must approach the matter with seriousness.

Meanwhile, BJP MLA Mahesh Tenginakayi expressed frustration over the Chief Minister’s Office requesting additional time to address his questions. He remarked that by the time answers were received, the Assembly session might already conclude, questioning the usefulness of the replies post-session.

In response, Speaker Khader noted Tenginakayi's reputation for punctuality and acknowledged his disappointment. He assured the MLA that he would communicate with the Chief Minister to expedite the provision of answers.

On Monday, Khader had voiced strong dissatisfaction, stating that the government had been warned repeatedly to ensure timely replies. He raised concerns about how MLAs could be expected to engage in Assembly proceedings without their questions being addressed, noting that he had issued strict orders on four prior occasions, making this the fifth.

Pointing out the lack of progress, the Speaker questioned how the House could operate efficiently if such delays persisted. He declared that proceedings would not continue until ministers and officials provided explanations for the hold-ups, leading to the adjournment of the House.

Khader had also organized a meeting on Monday with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka, Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, and senior Congress leaders to address the issue of unanswered questions, which had previously compelled him to adjourn the House.