Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is reported to have announced on Thursday, March 24, 2022 that, the State Government would construct 300 flats on permanent basis for legislators from rural areas, belonging to all political parties, at Goregaon in North Mumbai. Uddhav Thackray, who has not been keeping well for more than six months, was speaking for the first time, during the Budget Session of the State Legislature.
There was however a backlash following this announcement, which compelled the government to offer clarification, wherein, it announced that, each Flat would cost Rs.70 lakh & would not be given free. State Housing Minister, Jitendra Avhad is reported to have announced in the session that, the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) is to construct this housing complex in Goregaon Suburb of Mumbai, which would have High Income Group (HIG) category flats. Justifying, the Housing minister, is reported to have said that, this is not for the first time that any such scheme is being implemented in the state, & that, more than 1,200 plots in the city have so far been allotted for housing schemes to various sections, from legislators, bureaucrats, journalists, artists to mathadi workers.
A few MLAs, including, Praniti Shinde of Congress, Zeeshan Shaikh and Raju Patil of Maharashtra Navnirman are said to have opted out & expressed that, the money instead should be utilised for the welfare of the poor.
The budget session of the state legislature, concluded on Friday, March 25, 2022.
Criticism of the Scheme
However, such largesse for the lawmakers is considered unjust by the critics in the wake of the increasing number of homeless people in Mumbai and Maharashtra. Jagdeep Chhokar, founder member of Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), is reported to have said that, the housing scheme announced by the state for legislators, was nothing but a gross misuse of public money. Quoting ADR Report, he opines, the ADR report says, 93% of the incumbent MLAs are crorepatis, and in the backdrop of the fact that, their wealth increases multifold between two elections, the backlash against the announcement is obvious.
Criticising the move of the government to provide houses to legislators, it has been opined that, Maharashtra’s 288 MLAs, 78 MLCs, and more than 800 former members of the Assembly or Council, apart from the salary and pension they get, the incumbent and the former lawmakers and their dependent family members get cashless Mediclaim, for which, the government pays Rs.15 crore a year as premium. It is said, the state has recently also raised the cap on the price of car for MLAs from the existing Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 30 lakh, the interest on which is paid by the government, if the vehicle is purchased on loan.
Reacting to the criticism, Sharad Pawar, NCP Supremo has refuted that the sops were announced to keep the MLAs united in the current political uncertainty in Maharashtra. He is reported to have opposed the plan & expressed his personal opinion that, the government should not construct houses for legislators. Instead, the government can create a separate quota for legislators in houses constructed by MHADA, he is said to have opined.
It has been opined in this connection that, pressure should be put on the government to rethink its decision, as the assets declared by legislators show, how wealthier they are, and that, the perks given to them cannot be justified, considering their financial background. It is opined, this therefore strengthens the suspicion that, the state government has been announcing these sops for the legislators to keep them united, in the wake of the political uncertainty the government is facing.
IT is reported that the main opposition party in the Maharashtra Assembly, BJP has slammed the government’s decision and opined that, these houses are being given to the MLAs as Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) fears that they will defect & join the BJP. This is a move by MVA to keep their flock together, it is opined.
Epilogue
All said & done, it is expected of BJP, the main opposition party to take a firm stand, devoid of any politics & put pressure on the government to withdraw the scheme which is morally & ethically wrong & cannot be justified on any ground, as is amply clear from the criticism levelled against it. Barring a few who have entered politics for genuine social good, most of those who enter today, are known to have no genuine intention to serve the society, but rather serve oneself. It is high time, BJP, which calls itself a party with a difference, takes this opportunity and lead, to cleanse the polity of this contagious disease.
