The government not only came in for lashing from the aggressive Opposition on several counts, but also faced critical remarks from the Speaker on at least four occasions. So poor was the alliance government's performance that Speaker Dattaji Nalawade had to direct Chief Minister Manohar Joshi to personally look into the long pending matters of public interest and to find out early solutions.

Junior ministers faltering under sharp attacks from the Opposition is a usual scene in legislatures. But it is only in the rare cases that the Speaker issues specific directives to the chief minister. It was rarest of the rare case today as Nalawade had to perform the unpleasant task of directing the chief minister twice in a span of less than half-an-hour during the question-hour proceedings.

Nalawade issued directives to Joshi when it became clear thatsome urgent steps were needed to fill up the vacant posts of gram sewaks. Senior members of the Opposition skillfully established that the government was showing no urgency in filling up these vacant posts as a result of which a gram sewak has to look after a cluster of three to four villages. The victims are the poor villagers.

Opposition Leader Madhukar Pichad at this stage rose to make statement that he had cut the proverbial red tape to fill up vacant posts and expedite works of public interest when he was minister for tribal development. His statement proved most effective and clinched the issue. Convinced by Pichad's argument, Nalawade directed the chief minister to pay personal attention to the problem to cut the delay in filling up the vacant posts.

The Speaker issued directives to Joshi again when the House was in turmoil over the issue of the quantum government funds for completion of Solapur water supply scheme. Opposition members Laxman Dhoble (Cong) and Narsayya Adam (CPM) were engaged inexchanges with Minister for Water Supply Anna Dange and his deputy Ravindra Mane. The issue was whether the government had, in an earlier meeting, agreed to contribute 40 per cent of the cost. When the angry Opposition members trooped into the well of the House, Nalawade directed the chief minister to take initiative in convening a fresh meeting to resolve the disputed matter because it was an issue of larger public interest.

Then it was the turn of Minister of State for Agriculture Harshwardhan Patil. The Speaker intervened to direct the minister to look into complaints regarding the irregularities in revision of lists of persons living below poverty line. The question was raised by Mohammad Alik Khan and others.

The question-hour began with agitated members from the ruling benches and seniors from the Opposition registering a strong protest over the delay in fulfilling an assurance given by the chief minister regarding opening of agricultural engineering college in Konkan Agriculture University. Infact, it was only after a sharp attack from the ruling alliance members Bala Nandgaongkar and Bhaskar Jadhav that the chief minister made an announcement that it would be opened from June next year.

After the question-hour was over, Minister of State for Home Gajanan Kirtikar was at the receiving end. The Speaker expressed displeasure over the delay by Kirtikar in furnishing the information regarding statement on Navi Mumbai woman corporator's immolation.

In the morning when the House assembled for a special sitting to discuss the controversial Medical University Bill, the government cut a sorry figure as the proceedings was held up for ten minutes for want of quorum.