Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narwekar issues a stern warning to senior bureaucrats regarding their absence during crucial budget debates, highlighting the importance of their presence for informed governance.
Key Points
- The Speaker emphasises the necessity of senior officers' presence to provide immediate administrative support to ministers.
- Narwekar considers this warning a 'last chance' for the bureaucracy to improve attendance and engagement.
- Absence of additional chief secretary-level officers may lead to the House taking action.
- Smooth functioning of the House relies on cooperation between elected officials and the administration.
Maharashtra assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar on Tuesday warned senior bureaucrats against skipping important discussions in the House, especially debates on the state budget, asking them to treat it as a "last chance" for the bureaucracy.
Addressing the Lower House before the discussion on the budget, Narwekar said that the presence of senior officers in the gallery is essential for providing immediate administrative inputs to ministers during debates.
"The discussion on the state budget is a serious matter, and it is the responsibility of the government as well as the administration to treat it with due importance," he said.
The Speaker noted that he had earlier written to the state bureaucracy asking senior officers to remain present during key debates in the state assembly.
He said the warning should be treated as a "last chance" for the bureaucracy.
"If officers of the additional chief secretary-level are not present in the gallery during such important discussions in the future, the House will be compelled to take appropriate action," he said.
Narwekar further said that the smooth functioning of the House depends on cooperation from both elected representatives and the administration, while urging members to ensure that debates are conducted within the scheduled time so that the assembly's business can be managed efficiently.
© 2026