Strict verification, limited passes as state govt tightens access to Maharashtra winter session

The Maharashtra legislature has tightened the entry pass system for the winter session currently underway at the Vidhan Bhavan in Nagpur and issued guidelines detailing the eligibility criteria reported news agency PTIAn official circular stated that entry passes will be issued strictly for the session period and only to eligible government officials legislators staff security personnel on duty and authorised employees working for the Assembly or CouncilContractors canteen workers daily wage staff and temporary workers will also require official permission to enter said the order reported PTISecurity has been strengthened and the police have been instructed to allow access only to those carrying valid session passes issued under the supervision of senior security officialsAs per the guidelines one personal secretary one special duty officer and one assistant from ministers offices will receive full session passes Departments may issue passes to a maximum of 30 officials and 20 staff members and their names must be submitted in advance said the order reported PTIOfficials assigned duties on a rotational basis during the session will receive daily passes while permanent sessionlong passes will remain limited The circular states that strict verification will be carried out at all entry points to prevent crowding and unauthorised access the order said reported PTIPass distribution counters have been set up at Gate No 18 the first building block of Vidhan Bhavan and other designated spots within the premises Departments and officebearers have also been instructed to ensure passes are not misused or circulated without permission the order said reported PTIMaharashtra govt tables supplementary demands of Rs 75286 croreMeanwhile the Maharashtra government on Monday tabled supplementary demands of Rs 7528638 crore in the legislative assembly with a major share of the proposed spending directed towards farmer relief subsidies and social welfare schemesThe states public debt currently stands at Rs 932 lakh croreDeputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar placed the supplementary demands before the House on the first day of the weeklong winter session of the state legislatureWith the latest proposals the total supplementary demands placed by the current government stand at Rs 173019 croreThe government has allocated Rs 15648 crore for compensation and financial assistance to rain and floodaffected farmers and Rs 9250 crore for electricity tariff subsidies for agriculture pumps power loom and handloom unitsThe state has proposed Rs 1572108 crore for the revenue and forest departments It has also allocated Rs 6103 crore for the Ladki Bahin Yojana which provides a monthly financial assistance of Rs 1500 to eligible women beneficiaries and Rs 502448 crore to the Women and Child Development Department for implementing other welfare schemes as per the documents tabled in the HouseFurther the government has earmarked Rs 443974 crore as the states share in the Centres longterm interestfree loan Rs 3500 crore for the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme Rs 328179 crore for the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana and Ayushman Bharat schemes Rs 2200 crore as a special grant to municipal bodies and Rs 2500 crore towards stamp duty cess refundsThe government has also proposed Rs 9205 crore for the industries energy labour and mining departments and Rs 911576 crore for the urban development department ahead of elections to 29 civic bodies including the Brihanmumbai Municipal CorporationWith inputs from PTI