Two BJP MLAs from Vadodara, who have expressed their unhappiness over the functioning of the bureaucracy in Gujarat, today met Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel at Gandhinagar and conveyed their concerns.
After the meeting, Nitin Patel said he has assured the MLAs - Madhu Srivastav and Ketan Inamdar - their grievances will be addressed and action will be taken against officers deliberately delaying projects in their assembly segments.
Before the meeting, Srivastav warned the BJP will suffer in the next year's Lok Sabha polls if their concerns are not addressed.
Srivastav represents the Vaghodia seat, while Inamdar was elected from Savli in Vadodara, which has three BJP MLAs. The third legislator, Yogesh Patel, elected from Manjalpur, who had also raised similar issues, was not part of the meet.
The three ruling party legislators have attacked the bureaucracy at a time when Chief Minister Vijay Rupani is on a tour of Israel and will come back on July 1.
"Due to my routine medical check-up today, I could not go to Gandhinagar. However, the other two MLAs have gone to meet Nitin Patel. They will convey our concerns to Nitin Patel. We will also meet the CM when he comes back from his foreign tour," said Yogesh Patel.
Yesterday, these three MLAs had alleged bureaucrats and senior police officials were not looking into the issues being raised by them about their constituencies.
The lawmakers had claimed that on Tuesdays, which are reserved for meeting legislators, they have to wait in queue before they get to meet the officers concerned in the state secretariat in Gandhinagar.
Ahead of the meeting with Nitin Patel, Srivastav told media persons they are not against the BJP government or the party.
"We are neither against the government nor our party. We are unhappy over the functioning of IAS and IPS officers. I have observed that many MLAs, particularly first timers, come back disappointed from Gandhinagar on Tuesdays. This is the reason we three took up this movement," said Srivastav.
"Let me tell you the BJP will suffer in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls if officials do not mend their ways of working. It is also important that MLAs get respect," he said.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, Nitin Patel claimed the MLAs are no longer unhappy as they have been assured about action against erring officers.
"I have given them assurance that strict action will be taken against officers who are either delaying the work purposefully or not maintaining the dignity of an elected representative. Both these MLAs were satisfied with our assurance and this issue is over now," said the Deputy CM.
"Officers delaying legitimate work purposefully or not respecting legislators is unacceptable. I have taken details of such officers from these MLAs.
"Our government will also take action if such complaints are received from other elected representatives like sarpanches," Nitin Patel added.
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