‘Stand and greet’: Maharashtra govt mandates new protocol for officials to ‘honour’ MLAs, MPs

In a major administrative reform aimed at ldquostrengthening good governance and improving coordination between public representatives and the bureaucracyrdquo Maharashtra has issued a new government resolution GR directing all the state officials to extend enhanced courtesy and respect to Members of the Legislative Assembly MLAs and Members of Parliament MPsThe GR released on Thursday by the general administration department GAD consolidates eight earlier circulars issued between 2015 and 2021 into a single comprehensive framework titled lsquoGuidelines for Providing Honourable and Courteous Treatment to Legislative AssemblyParliament MembersrsquoOfficials across all the state departments district administrations semigovernment bodies boards corporations and institutions under government control have been instructed to implement the directives immediatelylsquoStand and greetrsquo protocol made mandatoryA key feature of the resolution is the requirement that officials stand up and greet Members of Legislative Assembly MLAs and Member of Parliament MPs during their arrival and departure from government offices Officials must listen attentively to their concerns use polite language in all interactionsmdashwhether in person or over the phonemdashand extend prompt assistance as per established rules and procedures stated the GRStricter rules for correspondence and response deadlinesEvery office must now maintain a dedicated physical or digital registermdash including entries under the VIP Section of the eOffice systemmdash to track all letters received from MLAs and MPs Details such as the representativersquos name letter date subject and the dates of receipt and final reply must be recordedThe GR further stated that all correspondence must be resolved within two months except matters related to transfers or promotionsIf delays are unavoidable the case must be escalated to the department head or district collector and an interim update must be sent to the representativeDepartment heads will conduct a quarterly review of all pending matters to ensure complianceMandatory invitations for government programmesThe GR reiterates that ministers guardian ministers MPs MLAs mayors zilla parishad chairpersons municipal council presidents and sarpanches must be invited to foundationlaying ceremonies inaugurations and similar government eventsInvitations must follow the official protocol of precedence and district deputy collectors are responsible for verifying attendance lists before printingReserved meeting hours for public representativesTo streamline interactions regional and district heads must reserve two hours on the first and third Thursdays of every month exclusively for MLAs MPs and citizens These timings should be publicly notified and formally communicated to the representativesUrgent issues may however be taken up during regular office hoursrestrictions during legislature sessionsNo major government events should be held at the local level during sessions of the Maharashtra Legislature or Parliament If unavoidable the timing must not clash with assembly or parliamentary proceedings the GR mandatedCompliance with special powers committeesThe government has instructed strict adherence to the directives of the Maharashtrarsquos Legislaturersquos Special Powers Committees Any breach notices must be responded to immediately and failure to comply may invite disciplinary action under the Maharashtra Civil Services Discipline and Appeal Rules and relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988RTILinked information access for MLAs and MPsLegislators and MPs can request information free of charge if it pertains to their parliamentary duties and falls within the definitions of Sections 2f and 2j of the RTI Act 2005Information exempted under Section 81 will not be provided the GR clarifiesDepartments have also been instructed to proactively publish key information on official websitesTraining and accountabilityAll the state training institutions must include modules on the new guidelines in foundation and periodic training programmes Noncompliance will be treated seriously and may affect an officerrsquos career progressionObjective and backgroundChief Secretary Rajesh Kumar issued the order on behalf of the Governor with copies circulated to the Maharashtra Chief Minister legislative council chairman assembly speaker cabinet ministers opposition leaders and district administratorsThe move aligns with the statersquos commitment to ldquoSushasan good governancerdquo with instructions issued to all senior officialsmdashfrom the Mumbai Police Commissioner to districtlevel officersmdashto ensure immediate and uniform implementation