Government sidelined issues of Vidarbha’s development: Oppn

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Winter Session witnessed sharp criticism from Opposition leaders of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), who accused the government of sidelining crucial issues affecting Vidarbha and Nagpur. “The government's announcements, primarily on paper, failed to translate into tangible benefits for Nagpur and Vidarbha, despite substantial expenditure during the session,” alleged Leader of Opposition (LoP) and Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar. The LoP accused the government of an arrogant approach, stifling their voices and neglecting crucial issues, particularly those concerning Vidarbha. He expressed dissatisfaction in a press conference and said that despite the Opposition’s desire to extend the session, the Government remained silent. He alleged that the Government’s refusal to respond to the Opposition’s queries reflected an autocratic decision-making process. He stressed that significant Bills were hurriedly passed without adequate debate. Wadettiwar questioned the transparency of the legislative process. “One major point of contention was the lack of a satisfactory response from the government regarding the reservation issue for the Maratha community,” he stated.

 

The opposition leader asserted that legislators were denied the opportunity to raise the issues and the government dismissed requests for extending the winter session. Wadettiwar argued that the session, crucial for addressing the concerns of the state’s 12 crore people, fell short as important bills were expedited without proper deliberation. On farmer issues, Wadettiwar pointed out that it took public criticism for the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister to visit agricultural fields in Bhandara district and understand the challenges faced by farmers. Wadettiwar further alleged that the government neglected Vidarbha’s issues, farmers’ concerns, various scams, the drug problem, and minority issues. He accused the government of displaying an egoistic attitude after their recent victories in three state elections. Wadettiwar claimed the opposition successfully compelled the government to address the people’s concerns.

Former Home Minister and NCP leader Anil Deshmukh raised voice over the unprecedented omission of discussions on Vidarbha issues during the session. Deshmukh claimed that the government hindered legislators from speaking on the matter, a deviation from the scheduled discussions under rule 293. The session left Soyabean and paddy farmers’ issues unresolved, according to Deshmukh, who criticized the government for providing insufficient aid. He also highlighted the stagnation in the MIHAN project and noted the absence of significant investments during the Mayayuti government’s tenure.

NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad stressed on the lack of tangible outcomes for Vidarbha residents and farmers in this session. He said, “No special projects or financial assistance were announced for Nagpur and Vidarbha.” Awhad raised the issue of the government's supplementary demands, totaling Rs 1.16 lakh crore in the past 18 months. “Such actions could lead the state into bankruptcy,” he claimed. Awhad drew attention to a letter from a farmer in Yavatmal who wished to return Rs 52 received as crop insurance. On the issue of Mumbai road construction, he questioned why tenders for 400 km of roads were awarded to out-of-state contractors. Awhad also raised safety concerns on the Samruddhi Mahamarg and attributed increasing road accidents to poor-quality construction.