Bengaluru: The Assembly passed four bills without discussion on Monday February 21, despite continued protests by Congress legislators demanding that RDPR Minister K. S. Eshwarappa be sacked for his remarks on the national flag.
Despite the protests, Speaker Vishweshwara Hegde Kageri held Question Hour with no Congress MLAs participating. The Criminal Law Amendment Ordinance, 1944 (Karnataka Amendment Bill, 2022), The Karnataka Stamp (Amendment) Bill, 2022, The Karnataka Stamp (Second Amendment) Bill, 2022 and The Karnataka Civil Services (Validation of Selection and Appointment of 2011 batch Gazetted Probationers) Bill, 2022 are the four bills that were passed.
Minister of Law and Parliamentary Affairs J. C. Madhuswamy moving the Criminal Law Amendment Ordinance, 1944 (Karnataka Amendment Bill, 2022) said, “The State Government has no participation in investigation proceedings under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act of 2002. The Enforcement Directorate is the only agency with the authority to investigate and seize proceeds of crime. We have also redefined the word “district judge” in the Bill to include principal district and session judges, giving them more power.”
The Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) also passed a bill validating the recruitment of 362 gazetted probationers from the 2011 KAS batch, Group A and B, by the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC). The Karnataka Stamp (Second Amendment) Bill, 2022, aims to set a maximum stamp duty paid to the government by corporate companies after a merger or bifurcation at Rs. 25 crore.
