As the State and Parliament elections are near, all the political parties have pulled up their socks. The Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis has asked BJP’s cabinet and the state ministers to be present in their offices in Mantralaya on every second and fourth Wednesday of the month. A letter stating such order has been published from BJP office. ‘My Mahanagar’ has learnt from reliable sources that this is going to be implemented from September 1st.
Compulsion to sit in Mantralaya
Many BJP party workers, office bearers and district presidents of the rural areas visit Mantralaya for various works. But often they have to return without getting their work done as a minister is not available in the Mantralaya. Therefore being present on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month has made compulsory in order to get their work done on time.
Ministers come to Mantralaya
When asked to Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, he confirmed the report. He said, “The BJP has issued such a letter and its implementation will begin from September 1. This pattern is currently being implemented in Gujarat and gradually it will be implemented in all the BJP-ruled states in the country’.” Not all ministers are present in the Mantralaya at the same time. When there is a cabinet meeting, only that time all the Ministers come to Mantralaya, and the other times there are only few present. So to avoid public’s inconvenience, all the Ministers are asked to compulsory attend their offices on second and fourth Wednesday in the Mantralaya, he added.
Two years ago also the presence in Mantralaya was made compulsory
Two years ago also the CM Fadnavis had made it mandatory for ministers to be present in the Mantralaya on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to do the public’s work. The decision was taken after CM’s governance was criticized because of his Ministers were regularly being absent in their ministry. “Although attending work tours are important but attending their offices in Mantralaya to get public’s work done is also equally important. Otherwise people will think that this is a mobile government, “said CM Fadnavis’s colleague once. But this order did not help. Ministers initially showed enthusiasm but later they were remain absent.
No use of Dinner diplomacy
CM Fadnavis had decided that after being present on Monday, Tuesday in the Mantralaya, on the third day they will have a dinner together and discuss the issues related to the state. But this dinner diplomacy plan also did not help CM.
The Congress government had also passed such order
Former Chief Ministers Ashok Chavan and late Vilasrao Deshmukh also ordered ministers to remain present in the ministry for three days, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. However, their order was also neglected by Ministers that time.
‘Minister-worker Interaction’ program in BJP’s party Office
During the Congress government, the Ministers of Congress & NCP were used to take Janata Darbar. The concept behind such Janata Darbar was to give justice to people and party workers who didn’t get justice in Mantralaya. On the same pattern BJP has tried to resolve the issue by keeping minister and worker interaction in its office at Nariman Point.
