Congress legislator Anant Gadgilsaid on Thursday that the Maharashtra government should defer the hike in the MLA/MLC local area development fund and use the money for measures against the coronavirus pandemic.Gadgil, a member of the Legislative Council, said it will make available Rs 366 crore."The Rs 1 crore increase in the MLA fund can be deferred and the money saved can be utilized towards efforts to fight coronavirus. The government will save Rs 366 crore if the hike is postponed," he said.The state government had earlier announced that the MLA fund will be hiked from Rs 2 crore to Rs 3 crore.There are 288 MLAs and 78 MLCs in Maharashtra who can use these funds in their constituencies.Meanwhile, BJP MLA from the city Parag Alavani criticised the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's directive that only civic officials will carry out disinfection and sanitization drive in residential areas.He said elected representatives and NGOs are making genuine efforts to help the administration in tackling the coronavirus outbreak.Apart from helping senior citizens, migrant workers and labourers in the unorganized sector, elected representatives are also helping with disinfection and sanitization of residential localities, he said."We are using a chemical solution as per the guidelines of the fire brigade and providing protection to those who carry out the spraying. We are reaching most vulnerable touch-points," Alavani said in a letter to municipal commissioner Pravin Pardeshi.The BMC's decision showed lack of trust in NGOs and elected representatives and was also overburdening the official machinery, he said.
