Ban on mobile phones in Legislative Council under consideration: Chairman Basavaraj Horatti

Bengaluru: Banning use of mobile phones and electronic gadgets in the Karnataka Legislative Council is under consideration, its Chairman Basavaraj Horatti said on Tuesday, ahead of the budget session of the state legislature starting next week.

Also, there will be no restriction on private television channels from recording and telecasting proceedings of the Council, but a certain set of new rules will be put in place, Horatti was quoted as saying by the state Information department in a release. The ban on phones is already in place in the legislative Assembly, where private television channels cameras are also not allowed.

The budget session of the state legislature will begin from March 4 and Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, who holds the Finance portfolio will be presenting the budget on March 8. The move to ban mobile phones and electronic gadgets from the Council is also said to be considered after a MLC was caught allegedly watching pornographic content during proceedings, during the previous session last month, sources said. Meanwhile, Horatti, a JD(S) MLC, who was elected as the Chairman of the Council on February 9, has resigned from the primary membership of the party. Several Chairmans of the council also Speakers of the assembly in the past have resigned from their party membership on their election to the posts to signify that they are objective in their functioning and were unbiased.