Maharashtra govt should pay AMC's share for water scheme: BJP leader

AURANGABAD: On the eve of the groundbreaking ceremony for the 1,680-crore water pipeline project in Aurangabad city, a BJP leader on Friday said the Maharashtra government should pay the civic body's share for the scheme.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will attend the ground-breaking ceremony of the water pipeline scheme at an event in Garware stadium in the city on Saturday.

Addressing the media, BJP MLA and former minister Atul Save said when the Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP government in the state had sanctioned the project, the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) was asked to pay a share of around Rs 17 crore.

"Considering the financial crisis faced by the AMC, the previous state government had later found a way out and not a single rupee burden was put on the civic body," he claimed.

However, the MVA government has now taken an assurance from the AMC asking it to pay Rs 631 crore, as its share to complete this scheme in three years, Save alleged.

"When the corporation was not able to pay Rs 17 crore, how will it shell out over Rs 600 crore?" the BJP leader said, adding that the state government should pay the civic body's share.

Save further said that the scheme was sanctioned and all the formalities were completed in December last year, but it has taken a year to start the work.

Meanwhile, municipal commissioner Astik Kumar Pandey said the ground-breaking ceremony is access controlled and will take place in the presence of 200 invitees due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ceremony will be broadcast on temporary screens installed across the city as well as on social media platforms, he said.