MUMBAI : NCP president
Sharad Pawar on Monday opposed CM Uddhav Thackeray’s plan to provide houses in Mumbai to 300 legislators—MLAs and MLCs—from the state’s rural parts. "The decision has been taken by the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, but my personal view is that the government should not construct houses for legislators. Instead, the government can create a separate quota for legislators in houses constructed by Mhada,” Pawar said.
He, however, added he did not attach much importance to criticism of the proposal. BJP has criticised the move as an "offer" to MLAs to save the three-party
MVA government. The decision has also come in for flak on social media and elsewhere from citizens, who said that most legislators were millionaires and other critics saying they were elected for a five-year term and were not permanent government/legislative workers.
Critics have slammed CM Uddhav Thackeray’s decision to provide housing for legislators from outside the Mumbai region. They have questioned the need to spend a huge amount on houses for MLAs/MLCs at a time the state’s debt burden has crossed Rs 6.25 lakh crore.
Thackeray had, on March 25, told the assembly that in view of “hardships” faced by legislators, particularly those from rural parts, his government had decided to provide 300 houses to legislators in Goregaon.
According to records with the legislature secretary, out of the 366 legislators in the state—288 from the assembly and 78 from council—around 54 to 60 belong to Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai; the rest are from other parts. The CM wants to provide to houses to all the legislators who are not residents of Mumbai, Navi Mumbai or Thane.
Thackeray’s contention was that many legislators from rural parts could not afford a house in Mumbai, and the state must construct higher income group tenements. The entire project would be completed by Mhada, he said.
A BJP legislator said that alarmed by the possibility of defections from the MVA to the opposition, Thackeray has taken the decision to keep the ruling alliance intact.
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Meanwhile, state PWD minister
Ashok Chavan said on Monday that he was not aware of any state decision on giving houses/flats to MLAs. Chavan’s comment, made during his visit to the Tuljapur temple in Osmanabad, was in contrast to statements made in this regard by the CM and by MVA ministers like deputy CM
Ajit Pawar and housing minister Jitendra Awhad.
Awhad had, a couple of days ago, stated houses would not be given free but any MLA who wanted a flat would have to pay Rs 70 lakh. Ajit Pawar had said houses would be given to MLAs who did not have any house registered in their own or their spouse’s name. Chavan said, “I am not aware of any decision to give houses to MLAs. There was also no demand. And it is not going to happen. The opposition is unnecessarily making it an issue.” -Inputs by Mohammed Akhef in Aurangabad.