Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], April 1 (ANI): Speaker Punjab Vidhan Sabha has convened a one day special sitting of the first session of the 16th State Assembly on Friday, said the Punjab government on Thursday.

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 10 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar on Monday wrote to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly secretary saying that he would appear for a discussion on his suspension case from the state Assembly only in the House instead of appearing for a hearing in front of the Deputy Speaker.

Mumbai Dec 28 PTI Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Tuesday said MLAs who represent the people of the state need to maintain decorum and follow parliamentary protocols in the Assembly and Vidhan Bhavan premisesHe was speaking in the Assembly on code of conduct for membersLegislative Assembly deputy speaker Narhari Zirwal said a booklet on model code of conduct for members in the House and in Vidhan Bhavan premises has been provided to themZirwal said the booklet has been sent to MLAs through emails and hard copies have also been made available in the legislatureThe deputy speaker said the decision to distribute the booklet to MLAs was taken after a meeting of group leaders whips and the leader of the opposition in his chamber in the morningThe meeting was called in response to a letter sent by Shiv Sena MLA and party whip Sunil PrabhuPawar said Assembly members who present the 12 crore population of the state need to exercise decorum and follows parliamentary protocolsHe said times have changed as live telecast of proceedings allows citizens to gauge what their elected representatives are doing in the HouseWe dont represent animals Making fun of others and making sounds of animals is betrayal of the peoples trust in you Pawar said apparently referring to last weeks incident of BJP MLA Nitesh Rane making meow sound when state minister Aaditya Thackeray entered the Vidhan Bhavan premisesSimilarly the opposition BJP had accused Shiv Sena member Bhaskar Jadhav of mocking Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the House last week an act for which the ruling party MLA later apologizedPawar said conduct of the members reflects on the dignity of the HouseLeader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP supported Pawar Sudhir Mungantiwar BJP said rights and dignity of members also need to be protected when they are working to raise peoples issues and the Chair needs to do something about itNotably 12 BJP MLAs were suspended from the Assembly for one year for allegedly misbehaving with the presiding officer in the Speakers chamber during the monsoon session in July this year PTI MR RSY RSY

Mumbai Dec 23 PTI A man was detained when he poured kerosene on himself in an apparent attempt to set himself on fire outside the Maharashtra legislature complex here on Thursday police saidShakir Shah 38 a resident of a chawl tenement in suburban BKC area poured kerosene on himself from a bottle outside the Vidhan Bhavan where winter session of the legislature is underway said a police official Police personnel on the spot immediately overpowered him before he could do anything moreShah told police that he was waiting for compensation for several years after his house was demolished for a Slum Rehabilitation Authority SRA project and was frustrated due to the delay the official saidHe was taken to Marine Drive police station and was given counseling the official added PTI DC KRK KRK KRK

Mumbai Dec 22 PTI Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray should delegate his responsibilities to the cabinet colleagues if he was not well enough to attend the ongoing winter session of the state legislatureEarlier in the day state BJP chief and MLA Chandrakant Patil had said if Thackeray remained absent for the entire session it would not be acceptable but Fadnavis later toned down the opposition partys standWe are not insisting that chief minister attend the Assembly session if he is not well In such circumstances he should distribute his responsibilities to the cabinet colleagues Fadnavis told reportersIf Thackeray can not attend the entire session we are okay with it But Administrative proceedings should not be affected said the BJP leaderDuring our tenure when the BJP was in power when a minister remained absent the responsibility of his or her portfolio was allocated to other cabinet colleagues said the former chief ministerWhile chief minister Thackeray 61 who is recuperating after a cervical spine surgery did not attend the first day of the winter session here on Wednesday his son and minister Aaditya Thackeray said his father was well and would come to the House whenever neededState BJP chief Patil had struck a more aggressive note over the issue earlier in the morningIf the chief minister is unable to attend the winter session then he should designate someone to carry out the business It is inappropriate that the chief minister remains absentWe will not accept complete absence of the chief minister from the session Patil saidThackeray can hand over the charge to someone from his own party the Shiv Sena or his family the BJP leader saidTaking a dig at the ruling allies he said He doesnt trust the Congress and NCP because they may not vacate the post once occupied State minister and his son Aaditya Thackeray can be given the charge Water Resources Minister Jayant Patil said the CMs health was good and he can come to the legislature any time There is no need to hand over the charge to anyone else He is functioning from home the state NCP chief saidBefore the commencement of the session Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar addressed legislators of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA in the Vidhan Bhavan PTI ND MR GK KRK KRK KRK

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 15 (ANI): Maharashtra Minister and OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal on Wednesday said that the state cabinet meeting has given its approval for the ordinance to restore the Other Backward Class (OBC) reservation in local body elections.