Vastu changes too should be banned in government structures, says private member’s bill to be moved by JD(S) leader MC Nanaiah.
Has the state government learned any lessons from the recent public outcry against the demolition of a partition wall in Vidhana Soudha? The answer is no. However, JD(S) leader in legislative council MC Nanaiah is determined to put an end to the practice of altering government buildings for Vastu reasons. Nanaiah is all set to move a private member’s bill seeking a ban on performing puja, homa or any other religious rites in government offices.
The Karnataka Legislature Salaries, Pensions, Allowances and Other Law (Amendment) Bill, 2008, which is to be moved in the legislative council, intends to curb the expenditure made by the leaders on altering government offices and residences for Vastu reasons. It attempts to check the leaders’ sentiments by banning puja and homa in government offices.
As for residential quarters, the bill says: “The residence so provided shall be in good condition in all respects, satisfying the prescribed plinth area, accommodation and facilities therein and no structural change and modification in the form of alteration or repairs on the ground of Vastu or any other grounds shall be made in the residence so provided.”
It further demands for banning of puja in Vidhana Soudha and other key government offices which is likely to rake up a fresh controversy. The bill reads: “India being a secular state, no chairman, speaker, deputy chairman, deputy speaker, leader of the opposition or chief whip shall perform any puja, homa or any other religious activity in the government office provided to him/her to discharge his/her function.”
The bill says: “It is necessary to prevent religious activities such as performing puja, homa and other religious activities in government buildings provided for the purpose of office or residence, based on Vastu which are against the secular character of our constitution and to prevent financial burden on exchequer of the state.”
The bill also intends to protect the original structure of government buildings, by amending the Karnataka Ministers Salaries and Allowances Act, 1956 and the Karnataka Legislature Salaries, Pensions and Allowances Act, 1956. The new bill proposed by Nanaiah is expected to create furors in the session as the members of BJP will oppose it.
It may be recalled that the chief minister Jagadish Shettar’s political secretary and Navalgund MLA Shankar Patil Munenakoppa courted controversy for getting demolished a wall inside his new chamber housed in the Vidhana Soudha. The issue gained significance, as this was the first time in the 60 years of Karnataka’s legislative history that anyone dared to damage the construction of the stately building that symbolises legislative sovereignty.
It is said the construction workers reportedly demolished a wall bifurcating room no 340 and 340A that were recently occupied by Munenakoppa to make it Vastu complaint. However, public works department officials maintained that it was done to create access between the two rooms and it had nothing to do with Vastu. Following the biting criticism from all corners questioning the morale of the BJP leaders to spend lakhs on Vastu at the time of drought, the allotted room was locked and a new room was allotted to Munenakoppa.
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