The Karnataka Assembly now features 15 reclining chairs for its Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs), which include two specially designed massage chairs. These recliners were introduced to help the legislators, including Members of the Legislative Council (MLCs), take “quick naps” after lunch. The initiative aims to encourage better attendance during the post-lunch sessions.
Previously, Karnataka Assembly Speaker UT Khader had suggested renting these recliners for the legislators to take brief rests after their lunch, which he believed would increase participation during the budget sessions. Khader pointed out that many MLAs and MLCs tend to leave the Vidhana Soudha after their lunch break and fail to return, resulting in poor attendance during the afternoon proceedings.
To address this, Khader proposed renting 15 recliners and placing them in the assembly lounge, allowing legislators to take a rejuvenating nap and return refreshed to continue their work. He stated that buying the recliners outright would be an impractical expenditure, as they would remain unused once the session ends. Instead, he chose to rent the chairs, with plans to remove them when the session concludes.
Khader defended the initiative by noting the success of earlier measures like offering free breakfast and lunch at the Vidhana Soudha, which had already led to better participation. He emphasized that legislators often arrived late after waiting for breakfast or struggled to come back after lunch, but with in-house meal services, attendance had significantly improved.
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