Mumbai, July 8 (IANS) Taking a stern stance against bureaucratic and executive laxity, Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar on Wednesday strongly reprimanded the state government and department secretaries over their inadequate presence during the ongoing legislative session.

Warning that such absenteeism “will not be tolerated further”, the Speaker directed the administration to ensure immediate compliance, emphasising that the dignity and functioning of the House could not be compromised. In an unprecedented move, Narwekar directed Chief Secretary Rajesh Agarwal to appear before the Assembly within half an hour.

The issue escalated during a debate on a motion moved under Rule 293, when Opposition members brought the absence of the concerned ministers and department secretaries to the Chair’s notice.

Led by Congress legislators Vijay Wadettiwar and Nana Patole, members pointed to empty chairs on both the treasury benches and in the officers’ gallery, which is reserved for senior bureaucrats tasked with assisting ministers with real-time data and policy inputs.

The protest found support from the treasury benches as well, with ruling alliance members, including Randhir Sawarkar, joining the criticism. Legislators expressed concern that ministers and officials continued to remain absent despite repeated warnings from the Chair.

Demanding strict action, members sought an immediate adjournment of the House, prompting Presiding Officer Samir Kunawar to adjourn proceedings for 10 minutes.

When the House reassembled, Speaker Rahul Narwekar took charge and expressed deep displeasure over what he described as a casual approach towards legislative responsibilities. Following the Speaker’s directive, Chief Secretary Rajesh Agarwal, along with several senior bureaucrats, took their seats in the officers’ gallery.

“The proceedings of this House represent the ultimate voice of the citizens of this state,” Speaker Narwekar said. “It is highly unfortunate to see crucial departments completely unrepresented in the galleries and empty benches on the government side. This shows complete disregard for legislative accountability.”

Highlighting the scale of the state’s administrative machinery, Narwekar pointed out that there are 110 bureaucrats in the Mantralaya, apart from those serving in government undertakings and local civic bodies. He directed that at least one officer of the rank of Additional Chief Secretary or Principal Secretary must remain present during the proceedings as a matter of priority.

“The schedule of the legislative session cannot be decided based on the availability of secretaries,” Narwekar said before directing that the Chief Secretary be summoned.

The Speaker also directed Legislative Affairs Minister Chandrakant Patil to take note of the lapse and issue immediate instructions to all state administrative departments.

Going beyond verbal warnings, he laid down a final directive for the remainder of the monsoon session, warning that he would not hesitate to adjourn the House if such absenteeism continued.

“Consider this a final warning,” the Speaker said.

“The government must coordinate internally. Secretaries cannot treat Assembly schedules as optional. If this recurs, I will be forced to take unprecedented disciplinary measures to uphold the supremacy of this legislature.”

Responding to the Speaker’s observations, Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule assured the House that the government would take corrective measures. He said a strict attendance roster would be implemented immediately to ensure that Cabinet ministers and senior bureaucrats remain present throughout the legislative proceedings.

–IANS

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