Vidarbha MLAs lukewarm to debate on development

NAGPUR, Dec 17: The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, rather painfully went through the motions of a discussion on Vidarbha's de...

NAGPUR, Dec 17: The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, rather painfully went through the motions of a discussion on Vidarbha’s development which appears to have become a customary item on the agenda of the winter session at Nagpur. It was the BJP which, before coming to power in the State, had revived the decades-old demand of statehood for the `underdeveloped and neglected’ region of Vidarbha. Subsequently, the Congress, now in the Opposition, made a big show of its concern for Vidarbha by organising rallies, morchas and demonstrations.

Ever since he took charge of the State, Chief Minister Manohar Joshi has been unfolding package after package in increasingly attractive wrappers for the region’s development. Today, he opened the topic again in a two-hour discussion on the same issue.

Barely half-a-dozen or so of the 66 MLAs from Vidarbha bothered to attend the debate at any given point in time. People like East Nagpur MLA Satish Chaturvedi, who would have the people believe that nothing was dearer to his heart than Vidarbha’s development, were seen strolling around Vidhan Bhawan premises, as Joshi reeled out figures and statistics in the House.

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He reminded the House of the special programmes announced by his government in the winter sessions of the last two years. Irrigation development is the most crucial area of this predominantly agricultural region. The government set up the Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) and floated the Irrigation Bonds. He proudly proclaimed that people had responses to the Bonds Issue with greater enthusiasm than expected. “Of course, this was because the people have so much faith in the Shivshahi government,” he added with unconcealed glee.

Most of the projects taken over by the Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation will be completed by March of 2000 AD, he assured. Next Thursday, he proposes to carry out the bhoomipujan of the main dam at the Rs 2,000-crore Gosikhurd Irrigation project in Bhandara district.

Several incentives have been given to industries to come to Vidarbha and concessions given in duties and levies.