Point out the finance ministry had rejected a Rs 150-cr demand for drought relief. Industries minister Narayan Rane and minister for employment guarantee (EGS) Nitin Raut slammed deputy CM and finance minister Ajit Pawar Wednesday for diverting contingency funds to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore to pay salaries/allowances of striking teachers. The Congress ministers are upset as the finance ministry had rejected a Rs 150-crore demand by a high-powered committee headed by minister for drought relief and rehabilitation Patangrao Kadam for minor projects under the employment guarantee sceheme. Rane and Raut questioned the wisdom of Pawar at the weekly cabinet meeting,after which the finance minister asked minister for higher and technical education Rajesh Tope to stop salaries of the teachers and tell them the cabinet did not approve diversion of contingency funds. Tope tried to argue,saying,The teacher strike cannot continue as it would affect students. We have to provide funds for their salaries and allowances. But Rane and Raut said instead of using contingency funds,the finance minister should make a supplementary demand for additional budget provisions in the coming monsoon session. Raut became aggressive after ministers from Marathwada demanded more funds under employment guarantee sceheme to tackle drought. Minister for public works department (public undertakings) Jaidutt Kshirsagar of NCP said, I have received only Rs 2 crore for drought work in Beed. Some other ministers have got Rs 10 crore for drought relief in Western Maharashtra. Raut retaliated,If the finance minister allocates funds,I have no problem releasing more than Rs 10 crore to each region. Congress ministers never display a partisan attitude and reach out to all regions to mitigate problems of drought. Ministers support CM At a pre-cabinet meeting,Congress ministers rallied around CM Prithviraj Chavan urging him to continue negotiations with trader federations but remain firm on enforcing local body tax (LBT). This comes after NCP wrote to Chavan Tuesday demanding a ministerial-level committee to deal with anti-LBT protests across the state. The Congress ministers claimed traders were not against paying tax but BJP was politicising the issue.
