Noted social activist Anna Hazare who is on an indefinite hunger strike here, has said that the Congress-NCP government in Maharashtra was wasting people's money by allowing ministers to spruce up their already well-furnished cabins.
"The state is reeling under a debt burden of over a lakh crore rupees and the ministers are busy spending lakhs in renovating their cabins. This should stop," Hazare said.
Hazare began his fast here yesterday, on the occasion of Gudhi Padwa, against the state government's decision to promote production of wine distilled from food grain and, corruption in cooperative credit societies.
"The state government should give Rs1,000 crore that the bankrupt societies owe to their members," Hazare said. The government should seize property of the directors of the defaulting societies, he added.
"Cooperatives minister Harshwardhan Patil phoned me to put off the strike. Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar, minister for water resource (Krishna Valley), met me, pleading that I should not go ahead with the hunger strike," Hazare said.
The noted social activist said he has had around 20 to 22 meetings with the government on various issues but there has been no outcome.
Hazare said he was against the government's decision to give subsidy to industrial units producing wine from food grain.
He alleged the government was 'splurging' money to renovate the official chambers of the ministers.
"The expenses should be recovered from ministers as it is a waste of public money," he said.
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