WEB DESK
Congress president Sonia Gandhi has reminded Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray of the commitments made to the Dalits and Adivasis in the Common Minimum Programme of the Maha Vikas Agadi government in Maharashtra.
In a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Sonia Gandhi raised issues pertaining to the schemes and budgetary allocations meant for Dalits and Adivasis.
The Congress is part of this government in alliance with the Shiv Sena and the NCP. Sonia Gandhi said the government must implement the Common Minimum Programme in letter and spirit.
“The budget allocation for the development of SCs and STs should be proportionate to their share in the population. There should be legislative backing to utilise funds allocated during the same financial year,” Sonia Gandhi said in the letter, adding that Congress-ruled states have made laws regarding the same.
She also raised issues like stimulating entrepreneurship in the SC/ST communities, reservation in government contracts for projects for enterprises, rapid recruitments drives for filling up backing vacancies in a time-bound manner for posts already reserved for SCs and STs in different departments, technical education training and skill development of SC/ST youth, among other issues.
The letter gains significance because this is for first time that Sonia Gandhi has written such a letter to Uddhav Thackeray since the Congress, Shiv Sena and NCP joined hands to form government in Maharashtra.
The letter is also being seen as an attempt to mount pressure by the Congress, which has always felt sidelined in the last one year. Several Congress ministers have come out in the open and complained about being ignored and not given due importance in the Uddhav Thackeray-led government.
Energy minister Nitin Raut had gone on record to allege that the proposal of power bill concession sent by his department was rejected eight times by the Finance Department.
The letter also assumes significance in the backdrop of the upcoming gram panchayat elections in Maharashtra.
Given the recent success that the three ruling parties enjoyed in the Legislative Council elections, the Congress would be looking to have a larger pie in the elections.
Gram panchayat elections in the state are crucial for the party as far its traditional vote bank in rural Maharashtra is concerned. The Maharashtra State Election Commission has already announced schedule for gram panchayat elections.
Elections for 14,234 gram panchayats will be held on January 15.