Mumbai: Barely a week after Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis were sworn in, the new government has sanctioned as much as Rs 1,500 crore, not only to the 165 legislators from the Shinde camp and the BJP, Independents and smaller parties, for urban development projects; these funds are also for use in the constituencies of the 12 Shiv Sena legislators loyal to former CM Uddhav Thackeray, who are expected to shift to the Shinde camp. This is the first major decision to be taken by Shinde, to keep the legislators in good humour, as they had complained about insufficient allocation of funds during the term of the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
Several legislators from the Shinde camp and the BJP said that the CM’s office had told them at the two-day special session completed on Monday, to submit work proposals of Rs 5 to 10 crore on a priority basis. They hope that after cabinet expansion and in the upcoming monsoon session of the state legislature, the CM will allocate more funds.
BJP MLA Manda Mhatre confirmed that she has been advised about the allocation of Rs 5 crore for the transformation of Diwala village near Belapur (Navi Mumbai) into a smart village, the construction of a community centre and a home for senior citizens in her constituency.
An MLA from the Shinde camp, Anil Babar, said he had sought funds for carrying out a slew of development works, including roads, a community centre and water supply.
A legislator from the Shinde camp told The Free Press Journal, “Every legislator and MP have been given funds in the range of Rs 5 to 10 crore. The government has earmarked Rs 1,500 crore in two tranches, comprising Rs 600 crore and Rs 900 crore and their disbursement will be routed through the urban development department, which was held by Shinde in the previous government. This is important, as the Shiv Sena legislators in particular, during the MVA government, had repeatedly complained to former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and senior party leaders about their being neglected when it came to the allocation of funds and how the NCP had got the lion’s share.” He said that CM Shinde, in his address after winning the trust vote on Monday, had said that he would allocate more funds and thereby meet the backlog.
Shinde’s move is primarily to pacify the disgruntled legislators complaining about the stepmotherly treatment meted out to them by the previous government. Interestingly, Fadnavis has said that of the total state budget of Rs 5,48,777 crore, the NCP received 57.36 per cent, the Congress 26.27 per cent and the Shiv Sena 16.43 per cent.
Tanaji Sawant, who is now in the Shinde camp, also claimed that Shiv Sena got secondary treatment in the MVA government. He agreed with Fadnavis’ statement, going on to add that of that 16 per cent allocated to the Sena, only 10 per cent was towards development while the balance was for salaries.
