Meghe raps Joshi for Vidarbha woes

NAGPUR, NOV 14: Congress MP Datta Meghe strongly criticised Chief Minister Manohar Joshi and other Shiv Sena leaders for failing to take concrete steps to fulfill assurances that the Vidarbha region would be developed soon.

The Sena leaders have spared no opportunity to make tall promises in the legislature and at public functions. Special concessions have been announced for the industrialisation of Vidarbha and a programme has been prepared to increase irrigation facilities in the region. Yet not one of these development programmes has been implemented so far, Meghe alleged.pMeghe recalled that even the `saffron paper’ released by the Sena supremo amidst fanfare, listing several promises relating to time-bound development programmes, had met with the same fate. He opined that it is now the duty of the chief minister, who addressed the Sena-sponsored `Vidarbha Vision 2001′ symposium today, to explain what concrete steps had been taken by his government so far and what he proposes to do in the coming days.

In a statement issued yesterday, Meghe spoke of several programmes announced by the alliance government for Vidarbha’s development. The list of promises includes special concession for speedy development of Butibori Industrial Estate in Nagpur and Nandgaonpeth Chemical Zone in Amravati, opening two orange processing plants, setting up of at least 12 spinning mills in cotton-producing districts, a sports complex in each district, appointing a committee to suggest ways to implement free housing scheme for slum-dwellers and completion of irrigation projects in Vidarbha. Meghe insisted that the chief minister should explain how he proposed to implement the schemes.

Sena leaders organising `Vidarbha Vision 2001′ were also criticised by former minister T G Deshmukh and Avinash Kale of Lokshakti. Instead of organising such programmes, the Sena should ensure that the cotton growers of Vidarbha get remunerative prices, they said.