Slamming the Opposition parties over their demand for withdrawal of MESMA invoked against anganwadi workers, senior BJP leader and Maharashtra minister Sudhir Mungantiwar today accused them of ruining the state in their bid to come back to power.
Both the Houses of the state Legislature today witnessed stormy scenes as Congress-NCP as well as Shiv Sena demanded withdrawal of the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA) invoked against anganwadi workers to stop them from going on strike.
"The opposition is setting a very dangerous precedent. In the future, the government and other services would demand revocation of the MESMA for them. The Act was enacted by the Congress during its reign and in the past, it had rejected similar demands for its revocation," Mungantiwar told reporters at his Vidhan Bhavan office.
The Finance minister also rejected the opposition's claim that anganwadi workers in other states were getting more honorarium than given by the government here.
"The Opposition is desperate to get back to power and therefore, they are willing to do anything for it. Had they sought a hike in honorarium, we could have understood, but their demand for implementing the Seventh Pay Commission will ruin the state and its economy," Mungantiwar said.
His cabinet colleague and Revenue minister Chandrakant Patil said the Sena was probably siding with the opposition as it seemed to believe that it can win over two lakh votes of the anganwadi workers.
"What the Sena is forgetting is that it is losing the votes of the families of the 60 lakh children covered under the Centre's Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS)," he said.
Patil reiterated the government's stand that the anganwadi workers were not being allowed to go on strike.
"However, they can still stage demonstrations, take out morchas or even throw ink as mark of their protest," Patil said.
Raising the issue in the Legislative Council today, Shiv Sena member Anil Parab said while the government was invoking the MESMA against anganwadi workers citing concerns of well-being of malnourished children, it was not giving them the status of government servants and extending benefits like the Seventh Pay Commission.
Taking part in the debate, Leader of Opposition Dhananjay Munde said the Opposition parties will not allow any business to be transacted in the House till the government withdrew the MESMA imposed on the anganwadi workers.
Amid continuing uproar, the Chair adjourned the House three times, before adjourning the proceedings for the day.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
