To make new members of State Legislature familiar with the working of the State Legislature, a Constitution Institute will be set up, revealed Adv Rahul Narwekar, Speaker of the Maharashtra State Assembly while talking to ‘The Hitavada’ at his chamber in Vidhan Bhavan in Nagpur on the first day of Winter Session of State Legislature on Monday. He played an important role while steering Mahayuti Government led by Eknath Shinde when some disputes regarding splits in Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Shiv Sena put the mega alliance in a fix. He toiled hard for more than 16 hours then and argued in the court in an effective manner. His competency was lauded by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis when he was re-elected as Speaker of the Assembly. “The functioning of State Legislature is different. Several issues are to be dealt carefully. Legislators come and go but for leaving footprint, one needs to study the functiong of both the Houses. Keeping this in mind, we are starting the Constitution Institute. Butm we have not chalked out its form. Post Winter Session, the Vidhan Bhavan with well-equipped library and training facilities, remains defunct for rest of the period of the year.

 

During this period, the facilities can be used for running the institute for newly-elected MLAs,” Adv Narwekar explained. The 47-year-old MLA Rahul Narwekar was elected unopposed as the Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. A lawyer by profession, he defeated Congress candidate Heera Nawaji Devasi by a margin of 48,500 votes. He left his successful practice and joined politics. He is carrying forward legacy of his father, Suresh Narwekar, who was a councillor. Rahul Narwekar has a political background. His father-in-law Ramraje Naik-Nimbalkar, is a NCP leader. “We have planned to launch ‘Vidhimandal TV’ on the lines ‘Sansad TV’. Currently, private channels telecast the proceedings of the legislature. However, once the Vidhimandal TV is launched, we will give others a live feed. If everything goes well then this project will start functioning by next winter session,” Adv Narwekar stated. ‘Sansad TV’ is a government television channel in India. This channel telecast programmes of both the Houses of the Indian Parliament and other public affairs.

 

It was established in March 2021 by merging the existing home channels, Lok Sabha TV and Rajya Sabha TV. Vidhimandal TV will be launched on the same lines. Adv Narwekar is considered as studious, soft spoken but very strict. Even the oOpposition members agree that Adv Narwekar runs House in unbiased way. During the monsoon session held in Mumbai, the issue of the behavior of MLAs was the point of discussion. Taking serious note of it, Rahul Narwekar had announced that a committee was being formed to formulate rules for the behavior of MLAs. Narwekar said, “Senior members should behave in a proper manner. There are people who are well aware of functioning of the State Legislature, so everybody expects them to act well.” “The working of State Legislature will become paperless within a month or two. Digitisation work is underway. Members can get any information on one click. It will become possible to conduct proceedings on-line.

 

This will bring a total revolution in the working of State Legislature,” said Adv Narwekar. During coronavirus pandemic, no session was conducted. If such situation arises then the work of State Legislature can be conducted on-line. Adv Narwekar has the challenge of presiding over and ensuring that the work in State Assembly function in a smooth manner plus no Ppposition members feel they are being neglected because of their poor number. He has to keep balance even among the constituents of Mahayuti too.