Minister, Officials Absence Disrupts Assembly Debate on Thane, Mumbai Civic Issues
The Maharashtra legislative assembly at Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai was repeatedly disrupted and adjourned on Friday morning during a crucial debate on civic administration and infrastructure failures in Thane, Mumbai, and the wider Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The disruptions occurred due to the absence of the urban development minister and senior civic officials, drawing sharp criticism from legislators across party lines.
The special sitting, scheduled to begin at 9:30 am on Friday, had to be adjourned twice because Uday Samant, the minister handling the legislative business of the urban development department, was unable to reach the assembly on time. The debate was meant to address recent public safety concerns, including fatalities caused by open manholes and falling trees following the onset of the monsoon.
Opposition legislators strongly objected to the delay. Congress MLA Amin Patel criticized the government, stating that the transportation system was in such poor shape that even ministers staying close to Vidhan Bhavan were unable to reach the House on time. When the House resumed after the two adjournments, textiles minister Sanjay Savkare requested members to begin proceedings, explaining that Samant would arrive shortly after a briefing with officials.
The proceedings faced further disruption during the afternoon session when BJP MLAs Atul Bhatkhalkar and Ameet Satam, along with Congress MLA Aslam Shaikh, objected to the absence of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials from the officers' gallery. The legislators accused the officials of disrespecting the House.
Bhatkhalkar noted that the speaker had already issued a notice two days prior regarding the same debate. He stated that the repeated absence of BMC officials sent a message that they were not serious about the proceedings. Legislators questioned how ministers could obtain factual inputs during the debate without the concerned officials present.
In response, tourism minister Shambhuraj Desai stated that the BMC officials were attending proceedings in the legislative council and would be summoned to the assembly immediately. The debate resumed once the officials arrived.
The issue of official absence had previously surfaced on Wednesday when the discussion began. At that time, Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar issued a notice to the urban development secretary, noting that while municipal commissioners were monitoring disaster management operations due to heavy rainfall, at least one officer from the department should have been present.
