Cannot Share Tea With A Govt That Has Failed On All Fronts Mva Skips Customary Meet

MUMBAI: Ahead of the Maharashtra legislature’s monsoon session beginning on Monday, June 22, leaders of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on Sunday boycotted the customary tea meeting hosted by the state government, alleging failures in the implementation of the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin scheme, inadequate farm loan waiver norms and a rise in narcotics trade across the state with the alleged support of sections of the police machinery. “We cannot share tea with a government that has failed on all fronts,” opposition leaders said.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had invited opposition leaders for the traditional tea gathering on the eve of the session. However, leaders of the Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (SP) and Congress announced their boycott at a joint press conference and launched a broadside against the Mahayuti government.

Present at the press conference were Shiv Sena (UBT) group leader Bhaskar Jadhav, MLA Sunil Prabhu and party leader in the legislative council Ambadas Danve, NCP (SP) leaders Jitendra Awhad and Jayant Patil, and Congress leader Satej Patil.

Jadhav alleged that despite advance indications of drought-like conditions, the government had failed to prepare an adequate water management plan. He warned that with the threat of El Niño and below-normal rainfall, Maharashtra could face drought conditions this year, affecting agriculture as well as drinking and industrial water supply.

He also accused the government of failing to ensure remunerative prices for crops such as onion, mango and jowar, and said the criteria for the farm loan waiver scheme excluded millions of debt-ridden farmers. Jadhav further termed it unfortunate that people from Maharashtra were allegedly involved in the NEET paper leak case.

Responding to questions on defections from his party, Jadhav alleged that the ruling alliance was spending “hundreds of crores” to engineer defections while claiming it had no funds to clear dues of BEST employees.

Congress leader Satej Patil criticised the implementation of the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin scheme and questioned the deletion of over 8 million women beneficiaries from the list.

“Over 14,000 men were beneficiaries of the scheme and it shows governance failure. The government has failed in controlling corruption and CM Fadnavis should answer all these issues without diverting the debate,” Patil said. NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil expressed concern over the growth of drug-related activities across Maharashtra and alleged that enforcement agencies were targeting small-time peddlers while shielding major operators.

“Sale of narcotics is taking place in every district of Maharashtra and it is not possible without some support from the local police. To cover up the issue, police arrest drug peddlers while the main operators roam free,” Patil alleged.