Assembly’s first week: No show
As the first week of the six weeks legislative budget session ended, only one major decision — allocation of 25 per cent of the state budget for irrigation and the allied activities — could be taken in the state Assembly.
After the inaugural speech by governor K. Sankaranarayanan on the first day of the session, the Opposition parties, mainly the BJP and MNS, found themselves engaged in making allegations against each other, instead of raising issues related to the common people.
On the second day, Leader of Opposition in the legislative Assembly Eknath Khadse demanded an investigation into the allegations levelled by MNS chief Raj Thackeray against him. The Opposition also initiated the two-day debate on drought, and it was while responding on the floor on the third day that chief minister Prithviraj Chavan announced the allocation of 25 per cent of the state budget towards irrigation and allied activities in view of unprecedented drought situation.
However, on the same day, public works minister Jaydutt Kshirsagar announced in the legislative Assembly that a world-class automated surveillance system would be introduced within two months as a measure to reduce the rising fatal road accidents on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.
The fourth and fifth day of the week were again wasted over an affidavit filed by advocate general Darius Khambatta in the Bombay high court, which stated that the governor’s directives on equitable allocation of funds to all regions of the state were not binding on the government. The Opposition parties created an uproar on the issue and the only business undertaken was a debate on the governor’s inaugural speech. The debate will now continue on Monday. Meanwhile, the first day of the second week is expected to start with the issue of increase in crimes against women in the state.
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