At a Delhi meeting, Ashok Chavan made demands to Centre based on outdated and unverified figures.
The NCP president and union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar ticked off chief minister Ashok Chavan by asking him to update himself with facts before placing the state governments’ charter of demands for Center’s consideration. Pawar was taken by surprise when the state government circulated its charter of demands based on unrevised facts and figures.
On the agriculture front, Pawar rubbished all the issues raised by the state government related to decline in minimum support prices for molasses, sugar and cotton arguing it should first do its home work properly. According to a senior minister, “The state government expressed concern about decline in prices of molasses. Much to their surprise, Pawar retorted by saying the situation had changed, and molasses in the open market were fetching almost ten times more than quoted.”
In another issue seeking higher minimum support price for sugar and cotton, the agriculture minister said that he had managed to rope in National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) to finance additional funds from the Centre in this regard, which will save the Democratic Front a burden of Rs4,500 crore. Pawar then suggested that the four pages related to agriculture demands be scrapped as they did not conform with the ground reality.
Chavan had convened a meeting of Maharashtra’s members of parliament (MPs) in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in Delhi on Wednesday. Union cabinet ministers representing Maharashtra participated in the discussions assuring to expedite the process of mega-projects related to the state’s development.
Chavan expressed happiness over the meeting as members turned out in large number to consolidate the voice of Maharashtra in Delhi.
On his part, Chavan stationed himself in Delhi on Thursday to personally take up the state projects with various departments.
Chavan wants the Centre to allocate higher funds to enable the state to undertake the massive modernisation projects in police force, and setting up of 12 coastal stations across the 720 km coastal stretch encircling Maharashtra-Gujarat. Pending highway projects, amendment in coastal regulation zone (CRZ) also figured high on state agenda.
The state government also emphasised on sustained supply of natural gas to enable them to process the Uran project. Projects in Koradi (Vidarbha) and Dhabol, if addressed, would help negate the power crisis, the state officials said.
State in the CentreAshok Chavan had convened a meeting of Maharashtra’s members of parliament (MPs) in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in Delhi on Wednesday. Union cabinet ministers representing Maharashtra participated in the discussions. They assured the gathering that the process of mega-projects related to the state’s development would be expedited.
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