Nagpur News: The Maharashtra State winter session is due to begin from December 10 in the second capital, Nagpur. On the eve of the session, the opposition seemed united against the government on a physical level, but failed to convey the strength of that unity while raising its voice against the government.
Differences of opinion were clearly visible as the BJP confidently invited an SIT probe into the Irrigation Scam, its ally Shiv Sena is in strong favour of a no- confidence motion, while the MNS (Maharashtra Navnirman Sena) is staunchly against any such motion. This dissonance has come across as good news for the ruling party.
Opposition leader Eknath Khadse said in a press conference here on Sunday that the Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has proven that he is not in control of his government by awarding a clean chit to Ajit Pawar in the government’s white paper on irrigation. Khadse alleged that the Ajit Pawar was appointed Deputy Chief Minister only because Pawar had to bow before the demands of party ally NCP (Nationalist Congrest Party). He also said that the white paper on irrigation turned out to be a mere status report, while the opposition had demanded that all facts and figures related to the issue be mentioned in the paper. He claimed that this was deliberately done to save the skin of Pawar and other officials related to the scam. He claimed this to be the reason for his refraining from attending the Chief Minister’s tea party on 9th December.
Khadse further insisted that the Vidarbha Irrigation Scam be probed by a Special Investigation Team. “When NCP- Congress had alleged corruption in the BJP- Shiv Sena government, the government had removed he ministers in question from the Council of Ministers, reinstating them only after their innocence had been proved. The irrigation scam is being suppressed in an attempt to protect Ajit Pawar. The matter should only be probed through an SIT,” he said.
Khadse said that the government is under debt of Rs. 2 lakh, 70 thousand crores and is taking constant newer loans to run the government. He alleged that the government is spending 81% of it’s money on salaries and related costs, and only 19% on developmental works.
Khadse also stated that government’s promise of freeing the state from load shedding in December 2012 has remained unfulfilled. He further accused the government of eing hand- in- glove with private power companies in the Coalgate scandal as well as in the alleged illegal pandering of electricity bought from outside sources. He said that cotton should be sold at Rs. 6000 per quintal, instead of Rs. 3800 per quintal, and that there are discrepancies in the irrigation package given to the Vidarbha region.
Khadse especially stated that opposition would raise its voice in the House for the creation of law specifically for the protection of journalists, keeping in view the recent attacks on various reporters in the state.
Shiv Sena leader Subhash Deesai spoke of bringing a No- Confidence Motion, for which all the parties in the opposition will have to unite.
MNS leader Bala Nandgawkar accused Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan of fraudulence, but opposed Shiv sena’s call for a no- confidence motion.
– Rajeev Kushwaha
