Even as the Monsoon Session of the Maharashtra Legislature continues in full swing, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde finds himself without a designated office space in the Vidhan Bhavan. While he has been allotted a hall on the premises, the absence of a fully functional office has forced his staff to operate from the Mantralaya.
According to sources, Shinde’s current workspace is located on the ground floor of Vidhan Bhavan, where his Principal Secretary Naveen Sona is stationed in an adjacent room. However, this arrangement lacks the necessary infrastructure for the full functioning of the Deputy Chief Minister’s Office.
During the previous Budget Session, Shinde’s team had access to a larger, more equipped office on the first floor, where key officials including the PS, OSD, PRO, and Joint Secretary carried out operations. That space, however, has now been allocated to Ambadas Danve, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, leaving Shinde’s staff without sufficient room or basic amenities.
In an attempt to resolve the issue, Eknath Shinde reportedly sent an official request to Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar last week, urging him to allocate an appropriate hall for his office staff. As of now, no official action has been taken on the matter.
It was initially expected that some rooms adjacent to Shinde’s current hall would be allotted to his office. However, those rooms are presently occupied by Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, Anna Bansode.