Published On : Mon, Nov 16th, 2015

Legislative Assembly to start functioning from Nov 28

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Principal secretary, Dr Anant Kalse will inspect preparations by the end of this week.

Nagpur: As the Legislative Assembly secretariat will start functioning from November 28, 2015, the officials and staff of secretariat are reaching here by Nov 26 and 27. Principal secretary Dr Anant Kalse will inspect all preparations by the end of this week.

40% Legislators have sent on-line questions
As the on-line questions have been introduced for legislators for the first time, as many as 40% legislators have sent their questions to be tabled during Winter Session of the Maharashtra  Legislature starting on December 7. Remaining 60% legislators are sending their PAs to Prashna Shakha, Mumbai to get their questions filed. Such being the state of affairs, when Maharashtra will go digital is a vital question.

The Legislature secretariat this time has decided for both the houses starred questions, discussion for half an hour and non-governmental proposals to be accepted through online procedure, for which a software has been developed with the assistance of MKCL. Every legislator has been provided with a pass-word and link. Thus, the legislator or his PA will not be required to go to Mumbai or Nagpur to file questions.

They may file their questions, sitting in their constituency through laptop or computer. It will save time of legislators. A training was imparted to legislators and their PAs in Mumbai as to how to file online questions. Accordingly, the online questions received will be opened on the servers provided at Legislature and the Prashna Shakha will transfer the questions to their departments concerned to facilitate the function of legislature. Surprisingly, many legislators, who brag of digital Maharashtra, are still unwilling to go online.

The legislature secretariat had already examined the scope of online system, whether the legilators would like to use it this year or not, the problems to be handled, etc, and therefore, in addition to online question system, the old system too has been allowed to ward off any inconvenience. As a result, the legislators with innovative mindset have adopted online system and 40% of them have used it while 60% of them are sending online questions through their PAs.

The online system will be used for receiving the replies as well. The secretariat will monitor the progress of online system and difficulties faced by legislators, and then efforts would be made for 100% online system, so that digitalization may be achieved.

It may mentioned that as the online system for receiving the questions has been introduced for the first time, it will be monitored as to what problems are being faced by legislators of both the houses, whether the system will be feasible to be continued, and the opinions of group leaders will be sought. After examining all aspects, the Speaker of Legislative Assembly and the Chairman of Legislative Council will take suitable decision, and then secretariat will act accordingly.