Members cutting across party lines in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly today stressed the need for the removal of financial and developmental backlog of Vidarbha on the second day of the discussion on the Vijay Kelkar Committee report.
The Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil (Congress) said the panel has made some useful recommendations like provision of funds for non-irrigated areas of Marathwada and Vidarbha, and need for launching of a movement to boost production of cotton and rice.
The report on the developmental imbalance between the various regions of the state was tabled in both houses of the state legislature last December.
NCP Group Leader Jayant Patil said one of the recommendations in the report says Chandrapur district in Vidarbha should get electricity at affordable rates and that provision for more funds for backward districts be made.
He said the demand for separate statehood for Vidarbha is not new.
Patil also denied that funds meant for the removal of financial backlog of Vidarbha and Marathwada were diverted to other regions.
"I had been the Finance minister and can tell you this (diversion of fund) never happened," he added.
BJP's Chainsukh Sancheti said Vidarbha has always been neglected despite it being a productive and fertile land, while his fellow party man Sudhakar Deshmukh said the region lacks textile mills despite it being a cotton growing region.
Shiv Sena MLA Arjun Khotkar termed as "conspiracy" to fix taluka as a unit for the removal of backlog as recommended by the panel.
In last sixty years, the percentage of irrigated areas has not increased more than 8 per cent in Vidarbha and Marathwada, he said, adding that Kelkar Committee was set up to "cover up" the injustice meted out to Marathwada.
Congress' Vijay Waddetiwar said several committees were set up for removing the backlog in Vidarbha region, but failed to deliver much.
"Every day at least four farmers are committing suicide in Vidarbha. Opposition used to target Congress saying it could not ensure Vidarbha's development despite having a chief minister from the region for 11 years. Now, we expect that with the present chief minister (Devendra Fadnavis) belonging to the region, Vidarbha will get more funds," he said.
NCP's Chhagan Bhujbal said that as the incumbent chief minister and power minister are from Vidarbha, they should make maximum use of the opportunity to ensure development of the region.
