Karnataka MLAs can now be more at home in the House, on recliners

The recliners, about 15 of them, would be available for the 225 MLAs and 75 MLCs by the time the next Budget Session starts March 3, if all goes as per plan. These would be placed both in the ruling and opposition party lounges. The ruling Congress currently has 137 MLAs in the House.

Khader announced the recliner plan at a news conference, where he also talked about how breakfast and lunch were already being provided to increase the participation of legislators in House proceedings.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Khader said that facilities such as breakfast and lunch had helped improve attendance during Sessions.

“By making sure that they have an option to take a nap post-lunch, we are trying to make sure that legislators do not have any reason to go out during the proceedings. This will ensure their attendance,” he said.

Khader added that the government would not be purchasing the recliners as these would be required only for about three months in a year that the Assembly is in Session. The Secretariat would hence rent the same, the Speaker said.

Last year, Khader had announced that attendance of MLAs in the House would be monitored using AI-enabled cameras, saying the dashboard would help track not just punctuality but also how much time legislators spent participating in the proceedings.

It was during the Winter Session – which is held in Belagavi – that Khader announced the provision of complimentary breakfast to legislators, while starting the sittings earlier in the day. With Question Hour being the first item on the agenda, members whose questions were listed were often the only ones present in the House.

The complimentary meals were also an incentive as, on many days, the House proceedings lasted well past midnight.

On December 17, 2024, for example, the House set a new record for its longest sitting when proceedings were held for 15 hours straight, from 10 am to nearly an hour past midnight. The Assembly only broke for lunch during this time, apart from a few breaks due to adjournments.