NAGPUR: Leader of opposition Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday took a dig at state cabinet minister Jitendra Awhad saying the latter suffers from “memory loss” and is unable to recall the Central government’s financial package of Rs 20 lakh crore.
This latest jibe by Fadnavis is a result of the two leaders sparring on Twitter over lockdown in European countries and how citizens there benefitted from welfare packages. On Friday, Awhad had tweeted to Fadnavis that it’s the central government of those countries which provided financial assistance.
While interacting with reporters at the Nagpur airport, Fadnavis said, “It seems to me that Jitendra Awhad is suffering from memory loss because he cannot recall the Central government’s Rs 20 lakh crore. In fact Maharashtra is the only state which has not announced any relief for its citizens. To trouble citizens, to disconnect their power line seems to be Maharashtra’s agenda.”
When TOI contacted Awhad, the state housing minister said, “Maybe Fadnavis is right, my memory has indeed become weak. So can he help in recollecting exactly how much of Maharashtra’s GST share has been transferred by the Central government till date. And out of that Rs 20 lakh crore package, how many zeroes have landed in Maharashtra’s lap.”
Countering Fadnavis’ allegations about disconnection of power, state energy minister Nitin Raut said that it all started with the Central government’s refusal to help. “I wrote to the Central government for an interest-free loan of Rs 10,000 crore so that we can provide relief to consumers in Maharashtra. But they offered us an almost commercial rate of 10.75%. During Fadnavis’ regime they did not ensure collection of bills due to which the financial trouble has mounted for us,” said Raut, who’s also the district’s guardian minister.
Shiv Sena MP and party spokesperson Sanjay Raut too questioned Fadnavis’ statements. “If a financial package is to be given, it can’t be done without Central government’s help. Fadnavis is a former chief minister and current leader of opposition. He must approach the Prime Minister to seek relief on behalf of Maharashtra. Nobody is stopping him from at least taking a delegation to the Centre,” said Raut.
The senior Sena leader expressed displeasure over Fadnavis’ comments on the state. “It’s not right to malign the image of Maharashtra, and that too by the former CM. I don’t appreciate him putting Maharashtra in the dock all the time and constantly criticizing the state to which he belongs,” said Raut.
Awhad said that Fadnavis’s “anti-Maharashtra tirade” is unwelcome. “I don’t know what’s his problem with Maharashtra. He’s been criticizing the state government at every available forum and has forgotten our political tradition in which all parties come together in times of a crisis. So instead of standing with the government as we tackle this (Covid-19) problem, Fadnavis is demoralizing the bureaucracy which has been working to find tangible solutions,” said Awhad.