Backward districts didn’t feature in MLAs’ questions

Mumbai: A study has revealed that legislators hardly bothered to raise questions related to nine districts, where the Human Development Index (HDI) is abysmal, in the Assembly in the last five years.  

An NGO, Sampark, analysed the proceedings of the state Assembly  from 2014 to 2018 and found that while nearly 1,003 questions were asked on the Mumbai suburban district, only one pertained to Nandurbar, which has a low HDI level.

Also, eight MLAs — Shivendrasinh Bhosale, Dilip Sopal, Ram Kadam,  Udaysingh Padavi, K.C. Padavi, Vijaykumar Gavit, Kashiram Pawara and Uday Samant — failed to ask a single question, according to the report.

The study, which was initiated in 2018, was carried out with the help of two researchers, Manisha Bidkar and Mrunalini Jog and Lata Parab.

When contacted, Mr Pawara said, “I didn’t use the calling attention motion or star question as tools to raise my constituencies’ issues. Instead, I used the point of order.”

K.C. Padavi, admitting that he didn’t raise a single question, said, “There are many issues in tribal areas which will not be solved through raising questions.”

The MLA further said, “I don't like to ask one or two-line questions. We just get answers but no implementation is seen.”