Maharashtra Legislature will publish a compilation of select speeches made by former State Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh in both the Houses.
V S Page Parliamentary training centre under the ageis of the Legislature has set up a committee headed by Ulhas Pawar, former legislator and a close aide of the late leader, to work on this matter.
Nilesh Madane, director of the training centre said the decision has been taken to make people aware of Deshmukh’s contribution to the State Legislature proceedings.
The other members of the committee include Jeetendra Dehade, Ravikiran Joshi and Dattatrey Khandge.
Invitees in the committee are: Dilip Deshmukh, MLC and Vilasrao’s brother, Amit Deshmukh, MLA and Vilasrao’s son, Trimbakdas Zhanvar, Vinayakrao Deshmukh and senior Journalist Vasant Deshpande.
Principal Secretary of State Legislature, Anant Kalse will be member secretary and Madane himself will be the Co-ordinating Editor for the compilation of the book.
When contacted, Pawar said Vilasrao’s legislative career spanned from 1980-2012 barring a brief period of 1995-99. His last few years were as a Rajya Sabha member.
Pawar said the speeches would be sorted out according to issues like Vilasrao’s maiden speech as a Congress member in 1980, first speech as Chief Minister while replying to debate on the thanks giving motion to Governor etc.
There was a six-day debate in Nagpur winter session on a proposal for separate Vidarbha state. About 83 members in the State Assembly had spoken on the issue. Vilasrao spoke for one hour and 40 minutes in his reply, he said.
According to the ex-MLA, the veteran Congressman also took decision to provide compensation to cotton, sugarcane, paddy, soyabean growers across the state. He was the first to introduce scholarships to OBC students and made provision of Rs 72 crore, he added.
Pawar said he is eager to get atleast one part of the book published on May 25, Vilasrao’s birth anniversary this year.
