MLAs get full bill reimbursement
A central study team visits drought affected villages in Hassan district on Friday during their visit to the state
Bengaluru: Despite repeated dissent notes from the Chief Medical Officer of the Legislators’ Home (LH), sitting and former legislators are being paid their full medical bills by the Special Board that has the Chief Minister, the law and parliamentary affairs minister and the presiding officers of both Houses of the legislature as its members.
Although the Karnataka Legislature Salaries, Pensions and Allowances Act-1956 has made it clear that legislators are not entitled to get fully reimbursed for their medical bills for routine check-ups and general medicines or even for notified diseases, its subsection 15(1)(3) contrarily gives absolute powers to the Special Board to take its own decisions on the medical bills submitted to it by them.
Recently, when JD(S) member, Ramakrishna submitted a bill of Rs. 81,437 for treatment he underwent from July 17, 2013 to June 25, 2014, the Chief Medical Officer of the LH sanctioned repayment of only Rs. 49,324.
But the legislator approached the Special Board on August 4 this year and it ordered reimbursement of the full amount to him on November 18, overlooking the CMO’s ruling.
An officer of the Council Secretariat says this is nothing new as the practice has been in vogue for years. “Crores of rupees have been sanctioned by the Special Board overlooking the Act and the Chief Medical Officer’s notes,” he said.
Expalined Legislative Council Secretary, Shreesha, when contacted, “We have no powers to reject the legislators’ claims. If we raise a query, they instruct us to place the file before the Special Board.”
( Source : dc )
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