By IANS
Bangalore : The Karnataka legislative council Tuesday created history as it completed 100 years after its conception during the days of the royalty in pre-Independence India.
The council held a special session to mark the centenary with an address by Governor T.N. Chaturvedi.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to attend another function planned for Aug 3, according to council chairman B.K. Chandrashekar.
The current council's predecessor body was formed in 1907 so that non-officials with experience in various fields and knowledge of local conditions could help the then government of the Maharaja of Mysore in making laws.
The representative body was to be made up of a minimum of 10 members and a maximum of 15, all nominated by the government.
Its strength was raised to 50 members in 1923 with 60 percent of them being non-officials.
The body included representatives of Mysore University, commerce and trade, planters and labourers, Muslims, Christians and marginalised classes.
It was empowered in 1914 to discuss the budget and in 1923 given power to vote on the demands for grants.
After Independence the body became the legislative council and its strength was raised to 75 in 1987 – 25 of them are elected by the legislative assembly members, 25 by local authorities, seven by teachers, an equal number by graduates and 11 are nominated by the government.