Karnataka: 42 MLAs claimed Rs 2.23 crore as medical bill in 15 months

Bengaluru: As many as 42 legislators have claimed medical bills totaling to Rs 2.23 crore in the last 15 months, according to a reply to a RTI query.

According to the information provided by the Legislative Assembly secretariat, between My 1, 2023 and August 28, 2024, a total of 42 lawmakers submitted the medical bills of their family members and received the reimbursement.

K Harish Gowda, the Congress MLA from Chamaraja Constituency in Mysuru claimed the highest of Rs 85,91,139 towards his son Kishan H Gowda's medical expenses. Congress MLA Abbayya Prasad (Hubli-Dharwad East constituency) has claimed second highest sum of Rs 31.79 lakh for treatment of his mother.

As per the norms, legislators can claim the medical expenses post the treatment by submitting bills, from any private hospitals. It can be recalled that few years ago there were allegations of fake bills which even lead to inquiry. The then Speaker of the Assembly, Ramesh Kumar had tried to bring in a rule where even legislators must get treatment at private hospitals only with reference from doctors at government hospitals. But it was not implemented.

Speaking to DH, Marilingegowda Mali Patil, social activist who got the information under RTI, urged the government to bring legislators under Aayushman Bharat scheme. "Legislators must experience the service at government hospitals which will help in improvement of public health system. I sought this information since people must know how much the elected representatives are receiving for medical," he said.