Taking over as Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly for a second consecutive term on Monday, BJP leader and MLA from south Mumbai’s Colaba constituency Rahul Narvekar has already set his sights on kick-starting the ambitious Mahavista project, which includes the redevelopment of the state’s legislative buildings. More legislators home. Narvekar also said that within the next two years, the entire work of the legislature will be digitized.
“It will be a redevelopment of the legislative campus in Mumbai where an assembly with a capacity of up to 350 MLAs will be built. Soon the project will be taken up on priority,” he said.
Narvekar said there is a plan to construct a central hall at the Nagpur legislative campus. “There is no central hall in Nagpur and I think it should be built. I will push for its construction in Nagpur,” he said.
The current strength of the Maharashtra Assembly is 288. The House can accommodate 305-310 MLAs with some changes in sitting arrangements. However, with the possibility of a delimitation exercise by 2026, the size of the Legislative Assembly could rise to 350, an increase of at least 60 seats. A bigger house is going to be required in the near future and the Mahavista project will get a big push on the lines of the Central Vista project in Delhi.
According to the sources, the open spaces within the legislature campus, which were previously in the revenue and PWD, have now been transferred to the legislature. “The public road outside the Legislative Assembly building has also been changed from the development plan and has now been named after the Legislature,” said an officer of the Legislature Office.
The project was first announced by Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar in his budget speech in February 2024. At an estimated cost of Rs 7,500 crore, the entire ministry, the ministers’ bungalow, the new secretariat and the legislative complex will be renovated. In August, the state’s Public Works Department (PWD) issued a global tender to find designs for ministers’ bungalows and ministries.
Narvekar also said that he understands that the MLAs have been without MLA hostel accommodation for six years as Majestic and Manora MLA hostels are being redeveloped. “Majestic MLA Hostel will be ready in one year and Manora MLA Hostel within two years,” he said.
By installing screens on the desks of all MLAs, the Speaker said that within the next two years, the work of the entire legislature would be made digital. This will be a paperless building from submitting questions to getting answers from the minister’s office. The digital process will also help legislators to be prepared,” he said.