DW BUREAU / Chandigarh Officials have to listen and respond to queries of members of the legislative assembly (MLAs) and work with them, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij said on Friday, warning them not to "ignore" legislators. His remarks come after legislators cutting across party lines complained to assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta that many government officials do not respond to their phone calls. "If (officials) they have to work in Haryana, then they will have to listen to what MLAs have to say," he warned. They will have to attend to telephone calls of MLAs and respond to their questions, Vij said. "Big or small, any official, cannot ignore MLAs, who have status higher than that of a state chief secretary," he told reporters here. He also said, "no official should dare to ignore the MLAs". Vij, who is also Harayan Health Minister, said that legislators should also bring these things to the notice of the chief minister. "The MLAs should bring all these things to the notice of the chief minister and the CM will definitely take strict action against such officials," Vij said. Following the complaint by MLAs, Gupta assured the lawmakers that he would do the needful. Gupta had told reporters that the MLAs complained of officials' non-responsive attitude during a video conference that he held with 20 lawmakers of different parties to know the situation in their respective areas amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The speaker had said some MLAs complained that many officials do not respond to their phone calls nor do they give answers to their queries. The legislators pointed out that being public representatives, they were answerable to the people of their constituencies and in this scenario, it creates difficulty for them in discharge of their duties amid the COVID crisis. Gupta had also said if officials do not give response to public representatives, it amounts to breach of privileges of the elected members. "As Vidhan Sabha speaker, I have to protect the rights of the members," he had said. (editor@dailyworld.in)