Amid extensive damage to agriculture during monsoon and delay in district planning and development council meetings, the Maha Vikas Aghadi opposition on Monday targeted the Eknath Shinde-led government of Maharashtra, wanting to know when the guardian ministers would be appointed.
“Parts of Maharashtra have received heavy rainfall, the dams are full and water is being discharged…crops have suffered damage,” Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar said.
“More than two months have passed since the new government has come to power, more than one month have passed since the ministers were sworn in and portfolios were allocated but so far guardian ministers have not been appointed,” he said.
Pawar, a senior NCP leader and four-time Deputy Chief Minister, said that it is imperative that guardian ministers at all the 36 districts of the state be appointed at the earliest.
The DPDC is chaired by the guardian ministers. Besides, they are directly responsible for issues related to the respective districts.
Earlier, leaders of the opposition parties - NCP, Congress and the Uddhav Thackeray-faction of Shiv Sena - had come down heavily on the Shinde-Fadnavis for the delay in appointment of guardian ministers.
“Besides, the Shinde government stopped releasing funds for all the sanctioned work from April. There is huge chaos at ground level, there are no guardian ministers,” state Congress spokesperson Atul Londe said recently.