State legislature takes step to counter forgery

In the wake of allegations that signatures of legislators were forged with an intention to hold a debate in the house, the state legislature has come up with a mechanism to check the malpractice.

In the wake of allegations that signatures of legislators were forged with an intention to hold a debate in the house, the state legislature has come up with a mechanism to check the malpractice.

From the coming monsoon session, the legislature will accept questions to be raised and notices for debates from legislators only in a format endorsed by its principle secretary. The blank forms, which HT examined on Wednesday, have specific numbers that will be recorded in the legislature office before the allotment. The legislature’s hologram will also be embossed on the form.

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Legislative assembly speaker Dilip Walse-Patil said on Wednesday that the procedure will make the legislator accountable. “Once the legislators get bearing numbers, we will be able to distinguish between the fake and the original forms. But, the situation will arise only when the MLA or MLC files a complaint.”

Walse-Patil said that the legislature would soon have online system for filing questions and notices that are raised in both the houses. “The legislators will be given a login ID and a password to upload the question.”

The action is a result of MLC Neelam Gorhe’s allegation during the budget session that her signature was forged on a form that submitted some questions. Consequently, the decision to form a committee, headed by deputy chairman of council Vasant Davkhare, to probe the incident and recommend action to the CID was announced in the budget session. The committee is yet to be formed.