Mumbai: Accusing the ruling coalition of trying to lure opposition MLAs by tabling “inflated” supplementary demands worth more than ₹41,000 crore, Congress legislature party leader Balasaheb Thorat on Monday said the move was also aimed at preventing turncoats from jumping boats. He levelled the serious allegation while speaking in the assembly during the discussion on the supplementary demands.
Reiterating the opposition's charge that the government isn't doling out adequate funds to legislators on the opposite side, he charged, “The government has splurged on the MLAs, whom it couldn't make ministers, by allocating (huge) funds.” Asserting that the unequal distribution of funds has led to unrest among the members as well as the people, he warned, “The Congress shall move the court against the decision if the government doesn't do away with the injustice.”
"This is not good for the state's economy"
Underlining that the government has sought ₹1.52 lakh crore in supplementary demands in the four sessions of the legislature over the past one year, Thorat said, “This is not good for the state's economy. It's a norm that the supplementary demands should not exceed the limit of 5-10%.”
Waiving the list of distribution of funds in the house, he averred that 105 BJP members, too, haven't received enough funds. “I have constituency-wise figures. I don't have any grudges against those who have received good funds; but, I would like to highlight that 65% of funds have gone to 100 members of the ruling combine. If you are talking of equal distribution, please explain to me how it is equal if one constituency gets several hundred crore rupees while the other gets nothing.”
Thorat slams govt for "staying” expenditure permitted during MVA rule
Corroborating his charge, he cited an instance of a district where one of its constituency received funds worth ₹735 crore while the entire district was allotted ₹215 crore. He also lashed at the government for “staying” the expenditure permitted during the Maha Vikas Aghadi rule. Thorat also said that on one hand the government is putting forth ₹41,000-crore supplementary demands and on the other hand several bills worth ₹50,000 crore are yet to be paid.
