In a significant development, entry to the Maharashtra Legislature complex will be regulated through a face-recognition system from today, June 23.
This was announced by Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar during the opening day of the monsoon session on Monday, June 22.
Addressing the House, Narwekar said the implementation process had been finalised and most legislators had already been enrolled in the system.
"Entry to the Vidhan Bhavan will now be through face recognition. The registration of most MLAs has been completed, and they are entering the premises without any difficulty," he said.
The new system is aimed at strengthening security and streamlining access to the legislature complex, which witnesses heavy footfall from lawmakers, government staff, media personnel and visitors during legislative sessions.
Despite the rollout, the first day of the monsoon session witnessed confusion and long queues at entry points. Journalists and government officials reported delays as many found that their registration details were either incomplete or unavailable in the system.
The face-recognition requirement was communicated only a few days before the session began, leaving little time for users to complete formalities. Legislature staff had asked media personnel to submit photographs and personal details via email from Friday onwards, but several attendees said their records could not be located when they arrived on Monday.
Many journalists and officials spent over 30 minutes waiting for verification before being allowed entry.
A temporary exemption was granted to journalists, government officials and employees who were unable to complete the registration process due to technical issues.
The sudden introduction of the system also raised questions because Maharashtra's state secretariat, Mantralaya, already uses a biometric face-recognition mechanism for access. Since many officials and journalists regularly move between Mantralaya and the Legislature complex, several wondered why an existing database could not be utilised.
Critics argued that authorities should have allowed at least a week for registration and testing before making the system operational during an important legislative session.
Acknowledging the difficulties, Narwekar said technical problems had affected the registration process for some journalists, officers and employees. To avoid disruptions to legislative proceedings and media coverage, they were allowed entry on Monday using their identity cards.
The relaxation, however, was limited to the first day of the session. From Tuesday onwards, entry into the Legislature complex will be permitted only through the face-recognition system for all authorised personnel.
Officials said the move was prompted by past instances of misuse of passes, including the use of duplicate or unauthorised entry cards. Authorities believe the new biometric system will improve identity verification and strengthen security within the Vidhan Bhavan premises.
With the system set to become fully mandatory, officials are expected to complete pending registrations and resolve technical issues to ensure smooth access during the remainder of the monsoon session.