Vidhan Bhavan faces power cut for the first time

Mumbai, JulY 17 (UNI) For the first time in its history, Vidhan Bhavan building, where Monsoon session of the Maharashtra Legislature is in progress, faced a power cut for nearly a minute.

The Legislative Assembly was debating the excess rains and floods which ravaged many parts of the State late last month and the government's relief measures and members were left stunned when the house was plunged into darkness for a few seconds.

The members had to switch on their mobile phones for some light and sat quietly before power supply was restored.

Later, Mr Ganpatrao Deshmukh of Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) who is the senior most member of the Lower House demanded that the house be adjourned for the day to protest against the power failure.

Girish Bapat (BJP) said this was his third term as an MLA and he has never experienced such a thing. The issue concerns the prestige and security of the Vidhan Bhavan. ''Power cut in Vidhan Bhavan is not as simple as switching off a street light. This is an insult to the Legislative Assembly,'' he said.

Mr Bapat and Pratap Jadhav (Shiv Sena) demanded that the House be adjourned for some time to facilitate an inquiry.

Mr Jadhav wanted to know whether the power cut was 'sabotage'.

Treasury bench members like Shashikant Shinde (NCP), Bhai Jagtap (Congress) wanted the debate on floods and heavy rains to continue and by opposed the adjournment.

However, Shambhuraje Desai (Shiv Sena) took a different line from that of the opposition benches saying that the people of Maharashtra stay in darkness for 16 hours daily. ''Why should there be a hue and cry, if we have to experience the same for 16 seconds. There is no need for adjournment and the debate should continue,'' he added.

Energy Minister Dilip Walse Patil told the House that he was investigating cause of the power cut. ''Tata and BEST supply electricity to Vidhan Bhavan and the maintainance of the building is under the Public Works Department (PWD). There was no power cut in the area, but only in this building. We are investigating the same,'' he added.

The debate on the loss of lives and property due to floods and heavy rains continued.

UNI