Minister for Women and Child Development and Udupi district in-charge Lakshmi Hebbalkar on Saturday cautioned officials of suspension from service if they continue to violate protocol by not inviting elected representatives to government programmes.

She was speaking at the quarterly Karnataka Development Programme meeting of Udupi district. The Minister ordered the issuance of show-cause notices to the Tahsildar of Karkala and officials of the Kannada and Culture Department over protocol violation.

The decision followed objections by the five MLAs of Udupi district, V. Sunil Kumar, Yashpal Suvarna, Gurme Suresh Shetty, A. Kiran Kumar Kodgi, and Gururaj Gantihole that the officials did not invite elected representatives to government programmes like Hakku Patra distribution.

Taking severe objection to officials’ conduct, Mr. Sunil Kumar said Hakku Patras were distributed in a political party’s office and questioned the Minister how a government benefit could be distributed in a political party’s office. To this, Ms. Hebbalkar ordered a show-cause notice to the Karkala tahsildar.

Mr. Sunil Kumar also mentioned that in a book published by Rangayana, pictures of the MLA, Ms. Hebbalkar and Kota Srinivas Poojary, MP, were not included.

Ms. Hebbalkar said it was mandatory to invite elected representatives of the area for any government programme and print their names on the invitation cards. Despite repeated directions, this was not being followed; she regretted and cautioned that if the same was repeated, the officials concerned would be suspended.