Nagpur: Former state finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar rejected the allegations of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders that central government has not given any money to the state and said that so far Maharashtra has received over Rs68,200 crore from it.
“Central government has also agreed to take loan for paying the hiked share of Maharashtra’s goods and services tax (GST). However, if the MVA leaders want central government to pay it money for waiving off power bills then it is wrong. Why is the MVA in power if everything has to be done by the Centre,” said Mungantiwar, while addressing a press conference on Saturday.
The BJP leader alleged that the MVA had failed on all fronts and had not fulfilled even one promise in past one year.
“Shiv Sena in its election manifesto had promised to reduce the power tariff of residential consumers using up to 300 units a month by 30%. However, the government increased the power tariff from April instead,” said Mungantiwar.
The BJP leader further said, “This government has money to reduce stamp duty to help builders. The 3% reduction in stamp duty will cost the exchequer Rs10,000 crore. However, it has no money for reducing the power bills of common citizens.”
Mungantiwar also said that the government had done injustice with Vidarbha by shifting the winter session from Nagpur to Mumbai. “Now I have heard that it does not plan to start the session from December 7. The government is afraid of getting exposed by opposition,” he added.
He slammed the government for not renewing the tenure of Vidarbha Statutory Development Board (VSDB), which lapsed in March this year. “In absence of VSDB, the government can divert money meant for the region elsewhere. The Board is our security cover and it must be renewed,” he said.
Mungantiwar said in place of “Fadnavis government” (one led by BJP's Devendra Fadnavis), a “Fasawnuk (fraud) government” has come to power. Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and his deputy Ajit Pawar did not visit Vidarbha even once, he said.
Mungantiwar had earlier alleged that while the government claims to have no money to grant a power bill waiver, it has funds “to renovate bungalows of its ministers; to buy new vehicles, and to pay to contractors”.