MUMBAI: The Congress in Mumbai has an issue at hand to address – voices of descent within the party over non-implementation of election promises.
While, former MP Milind Deora has written to party chief Sonia Gandhi expressing concern over Rahul Gandhi’s 2019 poll promise of allotting 500 sq ft homes to Mumbai slum-dwellers not moving ‘effectively’ towards implementation under the new dispensation in Maharashtra. However state Congress Chief Balasaheb Thorat has countered it by saying that the state is working towards the goal.
Deora, in his letter, dated January 24, urged Sonia Gandhi to establish a mechanism in Maharashtra - ruled by the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) of the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress. He reminded the party leadership that that upon his advice in March 2019, then Congress president Rahul Gandhi had said at a rally that 500 sq ft homes under slum and dilapidated building rehabilitation schemes will be allotted, if his party is voted to power in Maharashtra.
“This promise was later included in the common minimum program worked out by the three parties,” Deora said. However, state Congress president Balasaheb Thorat sought to underplay Deora’s letter by saying that the things are being done as he has expected them to happen.
“The coordination committee of the government has been formed and two members from each party are part of it. The government is working according to the Common Minimum Program (CMP) finalised before formation of the government,” Thorat said. He also added that the Congress and the NCP had contested the polls in alliance and they have a common manifesto. “Work on implementation of promises made in manifesto is taking pace. Decision on loan waiver has been made, scheme for cheap meals too has begun. Work is being done. Deora has written the letter. But had he asked us we would have explained the ground reality to him,” Thorat added.
Houses for poor
According to Milind Deora the then Congress chief Rahul Gandhi had made a poll promise of allotting 500 sq ft homes to Mumbai slum-dwellers.