Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil on Friday said the state government should first give farmers their dues and pay the salaries of MSRTC employees before giving houses to MLAs in Mumbai.
He was reacting to the announcement by the Shiv Sena-led government to provide 300 houses to MLAs who represent constituencies outside Mumbai and who do not have their own house in the state capital.
"The government should make payments to farmers and MSRTC (Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation) employees before giving houses to MLAs," Patil told reporters outside the legislature complex.
"There seems to be a fear that MLAs might defect and the government would fall. The state government must have made this announcement to hold onto its MLAs," he added.
Earlier the MLA constituency development fund was increased to Rs five crore per annum from Rs two crore and the salaries of legislators' drivers and assistants were also increased, he pointed out.
"Why does the government need to give MLAs free houses? I do not own a house in Mumbai. Still I will insist that instead of giving me a house in Mumbai, the government must utilise the money to pay farmers and State Transport workers," Patil said.
"No one is invited to become an MLA. Those who become MLA have the capacity to buy house on their own," the BJP leader added.
Earlier in the day, Housing Development Minister Jitendra Awhad, who had announced the scheme in the Assembly on Thursday, said the houses will not be given free.
"The land price + construction cost (expected expenses Rs 70 lakh) will be recovered from MLAs," he tweeted.
