Mumbai: The state govt on Monday issued revised guidelines for officials, directing that recommendations/suggestions of the privileges committee of the legislature should be strictly followed.A Govt Resolution (GR) said that departments should take immediate action on the breach of privilege notices received from the legislature secretariat and ensure that the report is sent to the legislature secretariat. The GR said if any violation of privileges is found, disciplinary action should be taken against the officers immediately as per the prevailing rules.The state govt also reiterated that important local events should not be organised while the legislature is in session. If it is absolutely necessary to organise such an event while the session is on, it should preferably be organised on a day when the houses are not sitting.“In the district where there is a local/state level govt ground-breaking ceremony/inauguration program, all the central and state ministers of that district, guardian ministers of that district, local all-party legislature members/members of parliament/mayors/zilla parishad presidents/city presidents, and sarpanchs, should be invited. Also, their names should be printed correctly and properly in the program brochure only after getting the confirmation from the resident deputy district collector. Also, their seating and meeting arrangements should be ensured as per protocol etiquette,” the GR said.The GR also reiterated its meet-and-greet norms for officials when dealing with MLAs/MPs. Officials will no longer have to stand up and greet MLAs/MPs when they come to meet them if such elected representatives have been convicted in criminal or other cases, have been summoned as an appellant or party to an inquiry/hearing or are present in a govt office in connection with the election process. In such cases, officers are expected to treat public representatives like ordinary citizens without any discrimination, in accordance with laws and rules.
