Opposition boycotts CM's tea party on eve of monsoon session

Mumbai, Jul 2 (UNI) Opposition Shiv Sena-BJP in Maharashtra today boycotted State Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh's customary tea party, on the eve of the monsoon session, which begins here tomorrow.

They criticised the Government for its failure on all fronts - to tackle the worsening power scenario, non-rehabilitation of flood-affected people, failure to control suicide by farmers, malnutrition, unemployment, law and order and price rise.

Addressing mediapersons, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Ramdas Kadam described Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh's package for Vidarbha as an ''eye-wash'' and accused the Centre and the State of playing with the sentiments of the people.

He said the State Government has not fulfilled its promise of disbursing crop loans to farmers at six per cent interest. All the cooperative and district banks are controlled by the NCP and the Congress and even the nationalised banks do not give fresh loans, if the earlier loans are yet to be re-paid, he said.

What was expected from the Prime Minister was that he would waive-off the existing loans of the farmers, but this has not been done, he regretted.

The only posititve thing was that Dr Singh found time to visit the affected districts and console the grief-stricken families, when the Chief Minister and other State leaders did not bother to visit them, Mr Kadam quipped.

For the last one year, not a single, educated and unemployed youth was provided job in Government, he alleged and added that the Government has done thing to increase the irrigation capacity, as well as give sufficient procurement prices for cotton.

BJP leader Gopinath Munde said there was a difference in what the Government says and implements. Its step to tackle the issue of suicide by farmers have been insufficient, he added. The Government had promised that it would provide crop loan on six per cent interest before the sowing season begins, which has not happened, he mentioned.

During the tenure of the Congress-led coalition government, the rural economy has deteriorated completely, he added.

Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Pandurang Phundkar said the relief package of Rs 1,075 crore announced by the Chief Minister during the winter session in Nagpur last year has not yet been implemented. Only about 250-300 farmers have been given cheques worth Rs 30,000 and Rs 70,000 have been distributed in the form of NSE bonds.

Mr Phundkar said an Opposition delegation had met the Prime Minister yesterday with a set of demands like - increasing the import duty on cotton and an integrated package for backward regions of Vidarbha, Marathwada, North Maharashtra and Konkan, but, their demands were rejected.

He alleged that though State Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil has declared that the Government will take stern action against money-lenders, the Government was protecting the family members of a Congress MLA from Buldhana, who are into money-lending business.

UNI MR-GK MSJ HT1705