The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker, Rahul Narwekar, has instructed the Legislative Affairs Minister, Chandrakant Patil, to submit a report by March 16 regarding the absence of Additional Chief Secretaries and Principal Secretaries during budget grant discussions on various departments. This directive follows concerns raised by NCP SP legislator Jayant Patil about the absence of senior bureaucrats during the discussions.
Speaker Narwekar acknowledged the seriousness of the issue and directed Minister Patil to address the absence of these officials during the budget discussions. The Speaker had previously issued a warning to the bureaucracy on March 10, emphasizing the importance of senior officers’ presence during legislative discussions.
During the budget debate, it was noted that only four ministers were present in the House, with the officers’ gallery mostly empty. Former Speaker Dilip Walse Patil highlighted the significance of officials’ presence during budget discussions for maintaining the quality of debates in the House. Speaker Narwekar stressed the necessity of senior IAS officers being present during such crucial discussions.
Narwekar issued a final warning to the state’s administrative machinery, stating that disciplinary action could be taken against Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) level officers if they continue to be absent during important legislative discussions.
