MUMBAI: Maharashtra Congress leader and former minister Satej Patil on Monday accused the Eknath Shinde government of holding back development funds for some areas, the allegation coming a few days after Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar expressed similar views.
Patil said the Maharashtra government was behaving like the previous Bharatiya Janata Party dispensation in neighbouring Karnataka, which was accused of seeking a commission to release development funds.
"The Karnataka pattern of 40 per cent (commission) has already come to Kolhapur, as we are struggling to get funds for the creation of public infrastructure and facilities. The sanctioned funds are diverted to some other works," he alleged.
"When the Maha Vikas Aghadi was in power, funds were sanctioned for road construction and other works. But, under the new government in Maharashtra, the sanctioned funds are diverted for setting up benches and buying open gym equipment," he claimed.
A few days back, the leader of the opposition in the Assembly Ajit Pawar had levelled similar allegations.
He had said funds were being unequally distributed among the ruling alliance and opposition legislators, with even works using local area development funds not being sanctioned.