Debate on budget to continue on day 3

Opposition leader in BBMP council M K Gunashekar’s debate on budget will continue for third consecutive day on Wednesday.

The Karnataka Municipal Act permits debate on budget in the council after the presentation of annual budget. According to the Act, after the ruling party leader, the Opposition leader can speak. Ruling party leader Nagaraj spoke on budget for about an hour on Monday, and since then, Gunashekar has been engaged in his marathon budget debate. Though it is said that he will speak for half-a-day on Wednesday, it is not surprising if he takes the entire the day.

Mayor D Venkatesh Murthy who was seen drawing sketches in a book while Gunashekar was debating,  said, Gunashekar had not left any topic for the next person to speak about. “The one who speaks next should not repeat the same,” he said, to which Hanumanthanagar councillor said looking at this year’s budget, Congress was capable of speaking about it for the next 10 months. Yediyur councillor N R Ramesh retorted, in that case, one could imagine how much one can speak about the “achievements” of Congress in the past four decades. Mayor quipped, “Let us call this a budget debate month.”

It is said that Gunashekar is one among the few councillors who is well versed with the KMC Act. Most of the new councillors were seen yawning.