Mumbai, June 12 (IANS): The Maharashtra Congress has accused the centre of 'discrimination’ in the allocation of central funds to the state compared with other states, here on Wednesday.
Congress state President Nana Patole said that Maharashtra accounts for the highest share of collection to the Centre by way of GST and other taxes, but when it comes to ploughing back to the state, the government displays bias towards this state.
"After the new NDA government took office, the Centre has distributed funds to states out of which Maharashtra has been allocated only around Rs 8,000 crore. In contrast, other Bharatiya Janata Party ruled states, or its allies have been allocated the lion’s share,” said Patole.
Patole mentioned how Uttar Pradesh has been given the maximum Rs 25,000 crore, Madhya Pradesh Rs 10,970 crore, besides Bihar, led by NDA ally and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar getting Rs 14,000 crore, compared with just Rs 8,000 crore for Maharashtra.
"The BJP at the Centre has consistently discriminated against Maharashtra when it comes to funds allocations. Even other states ruled by the Opposition parties have been given small amounts, like Congress-headed Karnataka got Rs 5,000 crore, and Aam Aadmi Party-helmed Delhi getting Rs 2,525 crore. However, NDA ally Andhra Pradesh headed by CM Chandrababu Naidu was given Rs 5,622 crore," Patole pointed out.
He reiterated that the money belongs to the common taxpayers and is intended for use for development activities for the masses but the BJP regime is deliberately giving step-motherly treatment to the opposition-ruled states.
Patole said that Maharashtra faced a similar predicament when the erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi government headed by ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray was in power (2019-2022) here.
Slamming the MahaYuti government, Patole said that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar "lack the courage to demand more funds as deserved from the centre", and are content with whatever is doled out, which is against the interests of the people of Maharashtra.
He warned that the people of the state are observing this and will take note of such injustice meted out by the BJP by teaching them a lesson in the upcoming October state Assembly elections, akin to the drubbing given in the recent Lok Sabha polls.