Marathwada Liberation Day: Opposition cries foul, calls out expenditure by Shinde government

MVA parties call out Shinde government for lavish expenditure on special cabinet meet in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Sena (UBT) leaders question need for 5-star hotels, food arrangements. They demand to know what happened to ₹50,000 crore package for Marathwada announced by Fadnavis in 2016. Special cabinet meet planned to discuss issues pertaining to the region on 75th anniversary of Marathwada freedom struggle.

Ahead of the special cabinet meeting occasioned by the Marathwada Liberation Day celebrations, the Eknath Shinde-led government on Saturday was called out by the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition, particularly the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) faction on Friday, as they criticised the ruling coalition for failing to implement past promises for the Marathwada region.

The MVA parties – the Sena (UBT), the Congress and the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) – also ticked-off the Shinde government for the lavish expenditure on the special cabinet meet which is to be held in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, formerly Aurangabad.

As per sources, developmental packages to the tune of ₹40,000 crore are to be announced at the cabinet meeting to take place in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. This will be the first time a cabinet meet is taking place in the region after a period of seven years.  

Mr. Shinde, along with Deputy CMs Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis are expected to reach Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar tonight, where plush hotels have been requisitioned to accommodate Ministers, bureaucrats and their retinue.

The Opposition MVA called out the exorbitant expenditure on five-star hotels and food arrangements, with Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve questioning the need for Ministers and bureaucrats putting up in posh hotels when government guest houses were available.  

“What is the need to spend ₹1,500 per plate. I know that the caterer, to whom the contract has been given, is under the scanner of the central agencies. Here, people cannot eat two square meals a day and this government is spending so lavishly for holding a cabinet meeting. There are guest houses in perfectly serviceable condition. Why can’t bureaucrats and ministers be put up there,” said Mr. Danve, who is Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra’s Upper House.

He said the lavish arrangements stood in stark contrast to CM Shinde’s claims of his government being for the service of the common man.