MUMBAI, 29 December 2007 — The Maharashtra government has decided to use the biometric system in the state Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council to record the attendance of legislators in both the Houses beginning from the budget session in March.
The system would enable the government to keep a check on ministers and legislators absenting themselves from the Houses during sessions.
The state government decided to use the biometric system after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Navnath Avhad allegedly signed the attendance register without attending sessions for three years. The member was reportedly sick and a committee last week met to clear his medical bill worth Rs.600,000.
Reacting to the government’s decision, Vinod Gawde, general secretary of the state BJP and member of the Legislative Council said if the system is to maintain the sanctity of the Houses, legislators will have no objection, but if it shows lack of confidence in the legislators, then it will be opposed.
Babasaheb Kupekar, the speaker of the legislative assembly, said he did not think any legislator will have objection to it.
The system would also be used for the 700 employees of both the Houses. Similar machines will also be installed in the Nagpur Legislative Assembly and Council. Each machine costs Rs.40,000 and the government will have to spent Rs. 1 million on the machines, he said.
