Absentee senior IAS officers should be tied up and brought to House like it was done in British Parliament, suggests BJP MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar in Maharashtra legislative assembly
Panel Speaker Chetan Tupe mentioned that often, officials watch the proceedings on television, so their TV sets should be switched off so that they come to the House.
Mungantiwar raised the issue of the absentee senior IAS officers after around 50 MLAs moved a motion for discussion on important public issues in the legislative assembly under Rule 293. He said: "When I was an MLA in 1995, the department secretaries used to sit in on important discussions. If the secretaries do not attend even after being called, can we give them some directions, like the way such officials were tied up and brought in the British Parliament?"
You Can Also Check:
Mumbai AQI
|
Weather in Mumbai
|
Bank Holidays in Mumbai
|
Public Holidays in Mumbai
Pointing out that it is necessary for secretaries of the departments concerned to be present during discussions in the House, Mungantiwar said: "The discussion under Rule 293 is necessary for the progress of the state. We proposed the discussion to create a happy, prosperous, advanced, progressive, reformist Maharashtra. The ministers may be busy with the work of their departments, but why is not a single secretary sitting in the House?"
Sena MLA Arjun Khotkar backed Mungantiwar.
"I have been elected for the last 40 years...Earlier, there was no space to sit in the House...it was difficult to accommodate all officers. But if there is such apathy today, how will the state's issues be resolved? Mungantiwar gave the example of the British Parliament, where there was an option to tie up secretaries and bring them here, let's see if something can be done," Khotkar said.
Responding to the two MLAs' grievances, Tupe said, "...govt should take the issue and the feelings of the members seriously, and take appropriate action in this regard. Often these officials watch the proceedings on TV. If necessary, their TVs should be switched off so that they will get used to coming to the House."
Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with
Doctor's Day 2025
,
messages
and quotes!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
High court seeks govt plan and timeline for kabrastan
Panaji: The Bombay high court has asked govt for steps it will take, along with timelines, for the setting up of burial grounds for the Muslim community. The high court is hearing a public petition concerning the lack of burial grounds for Muslims. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now When the court was told that land was also acquired for the Christian community and people of no faith, advocate general Devidas Pangam told the high court that out of the 30,000 sqm of land acquired for a common burial ground at Sonsoddo, 95 per cent is inaccessible because of the steep gradient of the land. He further said govt was able to dedicate only 2,500 sqm for the setting up of burial grounds for the Muslim community. The Margao Municipal Council (MMC) in June unanimously agreed to sign a deed of exchange for land with the Raia comunidade, which is required for an access road to the proposed kabrastan site at Sonsoddo. A survey report revealed encroachments on the access road to the site. The previously acquired 30,000 sqm land from the comunidade for the burial ground in the survey findings highlighted complications with the access route. The high court has repeatedly expressed disappointment over the lack of progress. Despite issuing directives in Oct 2022 for expeditious development of the kabrastan within six months, construction work has yet to start. Community members have also expressed dissatisfaction with the House committee on kabrastan, crematoriums, and cemeteries, which was constituted last year. The committee, comprising representatives from various political parties, was tasked with establishing and regulating common burial grounds across Goa's panchayats and municipal areas. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Last year, the high court issued a notice to the Chaplain of St Joaquim Chapel at Bornda after officials were reportedly denied access to the kabrastan site through the chapel's cemetery gates. The project has faced several hurdles, including local opposition and terrain constraints.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Indus Waters Treaty was a Himalayan blunder by Nehru: JP Nadda
New Delhi: In a thread of posts on X on Monday, BJP national president JP Nadda has once again raised the issue of Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) signed by former PM Jawaharlal Nehru in 1960, calling the move "Nehru's Himalayan blunder". He accused Nehru of sidelining national interest for personal ambitions -- toeing the BJP's oft-repeated stance that the treaty was an unfair deal for the country. "Even today, India would have continued to pay the price for one man's misplaced idealism, if not for Prime Minister Modi's bold leadership and his commitment to 'Nation First'. By putting the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, PM Modi has corrected yet another grave historical wrong committed by Congress ," he posted on X. Talking about the agreement, Nadda mentioned a discussion on IWT in Parliament in November 1960 where, he said, Congress MPs had also spoken against the IWT. "The most appalling aspect was that he (Nehru) did it without consulting Parliament. The treaty was signed in September 1960. However, it was placed before Parliament only two months later, in November, and that too, for a token discussion of a mere two hours," he wrote.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
Trump meets Zelenskyy, says Ukraine war might be the 'easiest to end'
US President Donald Trump on Monday (IST) said the conflict in Ukraine might be the 'easiest' to end, claiming both Kyiv and Moscow are ready for peace. Trump's remarks came during a joint press briefing with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House. Addressing reporters, Trump said, 'I don't know when this war will end but we have to end this war. Zelenskyy wants to end it, Putin wants to end it. I have ended six wars and I thought Russia-Ukraine would be the easiest. I ended India and Pakistan war. But I am confident we will end this war.' The meeting comes just days after Trump's historic summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Trump lamented that a lot of people have been killed on both on both sides. "I know the president (Zelenskyy), and myself, and I believe Vladimir Putin want to see it (war) ended," he said. Zelenskyy calls for joint effort Zelenskyy stressed the need for collective efforts involving Washington and European allies. 'We are ready for a trilateral meeting with Russia and US for peace. We need support from our European partners and US,' he said. On a peace deal, Trump noted, 'We're going to work with Ukraine, we're going to work with everybody, and we're going to make sure that if there's peace, that peace is going to stay long-term. We're not talking about a two-year peace and then we end up in this mess again.' Trump blames Biden for war Trump distanced himself from responsibility for the conflict, blaming his predecessor Joe Biden for it. 'This is not my war, this is Joe Biden's war. Many people have died and we want to see that stop,' he said. "The US has given $300 billion to this war under Joe Biden. He is not a smart man. If I were the president back then, this war would not have happened. He was a horrible, corrupt president," Trump added. European leaders to join White House talks Several European leaders arrived at the White House to meet Trump and discuss a possible peace deal with Russia. These include French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will also be in attendance. Russia's demands and Ukraine's stance Moscow has demanded that Ukraine cede the Donbas region and recognise Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014. Trump recently posted that Zelenskyy 'can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to.' Zelenskyy rejected the terms. Ukraine's Constitution forbids surrendering territory, and Kyiv has only hinted at accepting a freeze of current battle lines. Russia currently controls about 20 per cent of Ukrainian territory. European concerns and Russian strikes European leaders fear that if Moscow succeeds in Ukraine, it could threaten other nations in the region. Their concerns grew after a Russian drone strike on Kharkiv on Sunday killed six people, including two children, and injured 20 more, according to Associated Press. Russia also reported intercepting 23 Ukrainian drones overnight across its territory and in Crimea. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, 'Ukraine's territorial decisions cannot be taken without Ukraine at the table.' She backed strong security guarantees for Kyiv, adding the country must become 'a steel porcupine' against invasions. Trump-Putin talks in Alaska On August 15, Trump and Putin held nearly three hours of talks in Alaska. Both leaders described the discussions as 'productive,' though no agreement was reached. Trump said he wanted to reduce civilian casualties, noting, 'We're going to stop 5,000, 6,000, 7,000 people a week from being killed, and President Putin wants to see that as much as I do.' He acknowledged that unresolved issues remained. 'There's no deal until there's a deal,' Trump said, adding he would brief Nato allies and Zelenskyy. Putin praised the talks as 'constructive' and claimed the war would not have started if Trump had been president in 2022. At the press conference, Putin invited Trump to Moscow for future talks. 'Next time in Moscow,' Putin said. Trump replied, 'That's an interesting one. I'll get a little heat on that one, but I can see it possibly happening.' Both sides confirmed progress was made, with further discussions expected.
