Mumbai: Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar on Friday pulled up the legislature staff for including separate issues of forest and tourism in one calling attention notice in the state Assembly. A calling attention about the depleting water level in Lonar lake in Buldhana district and a threat to the forest reserve and the wildlife around the area, which was affecting tourism, were clubbed into a single notice. An angry Mungantiwar said two issues are never put together in one calling attention notice and asked legislature staff not to set a new precedent.
He said this is the third incident of the type he had come across and demanded strict action against the guilty legislature staff, including stopping their pension. The chair finally decided that Mungantiwar, who holds the Forest portfolio, focus only on the part concerning the forest and wildlife around Lonar. In his reply, the minister said there is no threat to the forest reserve around Lonar lake and steps are being taken to upgrade the facilities further.
