Patil's comment angers MLAs; Assembly witnesses 4 adjournments

Mumbai, July 18 (UNI) The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly witnessed four adjournments after members cutting across party lines who were debating on the violation of their privileges by government officials were enraged over comments passed by deputy Chief Minister R R Patil today.

The issue of breach of privileges of MLAs was raised by Wamanrao Chatap from the Swatantra Bharat Party after the Question Hour. He complained that he was not invited for a function to distribute Rs one lakh compensation cheques in Rajura taluka in his constituency.

''Even though I am an MLA, the ex-MLA was invited for the function and hence I want to move breach of privilege against the tehsildar and sub-divisional officer,'' Mr Chatap said.

Speaker Babasaheb Kupekar said the divisional commissioner does not even take his calls or respond to his phone. BJP leader Eknath Khadse moved a breach of privilege notice which was supported by more than 29 members from both sides. Mr Kupekar said he was admitting the notice since the issue concerned the office of the Speaker.

Later, Janardan Chandurkar, Bhai Jagtap, Chandrakant Chhajed (Congress), Shambhuraje Desai (Shiv Sena), Raj Purohit (BJP) spoke about the need to enact a law to define the privileges of an MLA and ensure its strict implementation. Mr Desai said opposition MLAs bore the brunt of the officials' apathy the most.

Raj Purohit said bureaucrats do not spare even Ministers and often ridicule them behind their backs.

Dilip Mohite (NCP) said MLAs suffered ill-treatment at the hands of police most of the times. ''If we call the police station, it is noted in the station diary and submitted to the courts,'' he said.

To which, Mr Patil who also holds the home portfolio remarked, ''If phone calls for wrong reasons are made, the notings will be made in the station diary. Hence, members should refrain from doing so. Members should not be worried about their calls being noted in the diary, if their intentions are good.'' This enraged the members from both sides who rushed near the Speaker's podium to register their protest. Speaker Babasaheb Kupekar adjourned the house first for 20 minutes and later Presiding officer Girish Bapat adjourned the house for 15 minutes, 30 minutes and 10 minutes.

After a prolonged meeting with Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, Speaker Kupekar and senior members of the house in the Speaker's chamber, Mr Patil announced in the house after the fourth adjournment, that he would look into the issues raised by members regarding the maintenance of station diaries at the police station.

Similarly, the General Administration Department (GAD) would ensure that the implementation of privileges of the legislators would be strictly followed, he added.

UNI