Thiruvananthapuram, 14 Jan (H.S.): Kerala Assembly Speaker A N Shamseer on Wednesday announced that the State Budget will be presented on January 29 during the final session of the 15th Kerala Legislative Assembly, which is scheduled to begin on January 20.

Addressing the media, the Speaker said the Governor’s policy address will be held on the opening day of the session. A 32-day-long Assembly session has been scheduled, marking the concluding sitting of the current Assembly.

Responding to queries regarding complaints against MLA Rahul Mankootathil, Shamseer clarified that while private complaints have been received, any move to initiate disqualification proceedings must strictly follow constitutional and procedural norms.

He said that for the issue to be referred to the Privileges and Ethics Committee, a formal complaint must be submitted by a sitting MLA. As of now, no such complaint has been received from any member of the House.

The Speaker further stated that the arrest of an MLA in a criminal case does not, by itself, affect the dignity of the Legislative Assembly. He cautioned against generalising individual misconduct to tarnish the image of the entire institution.

Drawing an analogy, Shamseer said that if one mango in a basket turns bad, it does not mean the entire basket is spoiled. He added that if there is wrongdoing on the part of certain legislators, it should not be used to discredit all members.

Emphasising ethical conduct, the Speaker said that public representatives are expected to maintain high standards of behaviour, especially in their conduct towards women. He noted that the public expects decency and responsible behaviour from elected representatives.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman