Joshi flayed for Vidarbha project backlogs

The legislators disagreed with the Chief Minister8217;s introductory remarks that the government had promptly acted in implementing the Rs 4300-crore special development package for Vidarbha.

Terming the CM8217;s claim as misleading, Congress member Manikrao Thakre alleged that the Joshi government not only failed to remove the developmental backlog of Vidarbha as calculated by Dandekar committee, but also was responsible for creating a fresh backlogs. In support of the charge, he said the government made a meagre budgetary provision of Rs1405 crore for the region when it should have allocated Rs 4226 crore on the basis of population ratio.

Joshi also came under fire for the Govt8217;s failure to act on a report submitted by the Backlog and Indicators Committee of Statutory Development Boards. The committee instituted to suggest solutions to the problem submitted its report on July 17, 1997.

Thakre, who is also a former minister, levelled a serious allegation that the Khadakpurna irrigation project work in Buldana district was stalled only because a senior minister wanted the work to be allotted to a contractor of his choice.

Talking about the farm sector, he demanded power at concessional rates for industries in Vidarbha region and hike in cotton procurement price from Rs 2100 crore to Rs 2500 crore. BJP member Mungantiwar joined the bandwagon demanding a concession of Re per unit in power tariffs to attract power intensive units to Vidarbha region. It would serve the dual purpose of speeding up Vidarbha8217;s industrial development and at thesame time save on transmission of power from plants in Vidarbha region to industrial units located in remote places in western Maharashtra, he argued.

The BJP member also demanded that the Rs 182-cr royalty that the State earned from coal mines in Vidarbha should be channeled back into the region.

Former Minister Shivajirao Moghe Independent accused the alliance government of deliberately pursuing anti-tribal policies. He alleged that the government has failed to take action against pseudo tribal8217; employees, who fraudulently grabbed reserved government jobs.

He reminded the Chief Minister about his assurance about opening of an IAS coaching centre for tribal youths.

Earlier, initiating the debate, Joshi stated that 66 out of 89 schemes included in the ambitious Rs 4300 crore time bound programme8217; announced by his government for the Vidarbha region, were implemented. He said the alliance government had spent Rs 2200 crore so far and made a budgetary provision for Rs 600 crore for 1998 and plannedto provide Rs 800 crore next year. He said Rs 700 crore would be utilised for completion of irrigation projects and development of road network in the region.

Joshi announced that all villages in backward Melghat tribal region of Amravati district, would have road links by the end of next year. He listed measures initiated to fulfill promises regarding speedy industrial development and providing technical training to youths in the region.