NDA favours its ally states, neglects others: Shinde

Blaming the Centre of step-motherly treatment towards the Congress-ruled states, Maharashtra CM Sushilkumar Shinde said on Tuesday that the Centre had neglected the state’s demand for drought relief.

Speaking at the concluding session of MPCC’s North Maharashtra Divisional Camp, Shinde lamented that Maharashtra’s plea for aid of Rs 1,400 crore to combat the drought situation had gone unheard. ‘‘The Centre has sanctioned Rs 20 crore while generous allocations have been made for Orissa and Andhra,’’ he said. He observed that it was because these states were ruled by NDA allies while Maharashtra was ruled by the Congress.

While the state demanded at least Rs 100 crore from the National Calamity Relief Fund, it got Rs 22 crore, even as the Centre made it clear that the amount would be deducted from its share of Central allocation.