Mumbai, February 27 Two officials of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) were suspended on Friday following a directive from the pro-tem Speaker of the legislative assembly.
The swift action raised eyebrows in political circles, as the MPCB is headed by Siddhesh Kadam, a leader of the Shiv Sena, a ruling ally, although it functions under the environment department led by BJP minister Pankaja Munde.
Pro-tem Speaker Dilip Lande ordered the suspension of MPCB member secretary M Devendra Singh, an IAS officer, and joint director Satish Padval on Thursday evening after Munde informed him that they had failed to attend a meeting convened by her.
Responding to a discussion on pollution in the eastern Maharashtra district of Chandrapur, Munde said that the officials had not attended the meeting she had called on the issue.
Describing their absence as "gross negligence" and "disrespect towards the people of Maharashtra who are represented in the legislature by elected representatives," Lande, himself an MLA from the Shiv Sena, directed that action be initiated against them.
Sources said that within a day of the order, a file recommending their suspension was placed before Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for approval, and action was taken.
Defending his decision, Lande said, "It doesn't matter that I was merely a pro-tem Speaker. I was in the chair, and action was taken for not respecting the orders of a minister and not doing one's duty."
On Friday, BJP MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar moved a breach of privilege motion against the MPCB for allegedly failing to adhere to the minister's directions.
Siddhesh Kadam is the son of senior Shiv Sena leader and former minister Ramdas Kadam and brother of Minister of State Yogesh Kadam.