Maha session: Anti-superstition Bill, Adarsh scam likely to be

The winter session of Maharashtra Legislature will commence here from tomorrow with issues such as the demand for passing the Anti-Superstition Bill and Adarsh scam likely to generate heat during the proceedings.
Among the other issues likely to dominate the House discussions is the controversy over allotment of land to Union Minister Rajiv Shukla in Mumbai.
After the assassination of anti-superstition crusader Dr Narendra Dabholkar, the state government promulgated an Ordinance against such practice.
A group of people from the Warkari community have strongly opposed the proposed provision of the law saying it will not allow the passage of bill, which is pending for last 13-14 years.

This will perhaps be the first session after a long spell when the combined Opposition has not given a usual bandh call on the first day of commencement.
Instead, the main Opposition BJP has given a call for blocking roads (rasta roko) in all parts of Vidarbha and Marathwada region against non-payment of financial assistance to the farmers affected by excess rainfall earlier.

The BJP is also demanding tabling of action taken report (ATR) on the Adarsh Housing Society scam. The party has dragged the government to the High Court also, making it clear that the fight is both in the House and outside it.

The irrigation backlog is also likely to be discussed during the session and Opposition has questioned the official figures.
Opposition Leader in Legislative Assembly, Vinod Tawde has alleged a backlog of Rs 66,000 crores in Vidarbha region.
Tawde said the Mishra Committee, sent by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2006 to look into the reasons behind large scale suicides by the farmers, has opined that inadequate irrigation facilities in Vidarbha which led to crop failure led to farmers resorting to the extreme step.
He said a critical analysis of the statistics reveal that only 8.10 lakh hectares of land has been irrigated during the last 10 years.