MUMBAI: Shiv Sena MP Vinayak Raut, whose party is an ally of the Congress and NCP in Maharashtra, has alleged that state Congress minister Amit Deshmukh is trying to divert a central project meant for Konkan to his Assembly constituency Latur.
Raut, the MP from Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg, said the Ayush Ministry has finalised setting up the National Institute of Medicinal Plants at Sindhudurg in Konkan, but Deshmukh "on his own" wrote to the Centre seeking to locate the project at Latur in the Marathwada region.
Maharashtra Medical Education Minister Amit Deshmukh, the son of former chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, is an MLA from Latur and is also the district's guardian minister.
The Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress came together last year to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in the state after the Uddhav Thackeray-led party and the BJP severed ties.
Speaking to a TV channel, Raut on Tuesday said the Centre has finalised Adali village at Dodamarg in Sindhudurg as the location for setting up the institute and sought the state government's feedback on the same.
"While all preparations have been made at the local level, suddenly, a letter with the (state) ministers sign on it was sent to the Centre for locating the project to Latur instead," Raut alleged.
The Lok Sabha member said he had tried to meet Amit Deshmukh several times to discuss the issue and also sent a letter in this regard.
The minister, however, did not respond, Raut claimed.
"Our (Ratnagiri) guardian minister Uday Samant also took efforts. But, he (Amit Deshmukh) did not meet us even once. It does not suit him to run away with the project thus," the Sena MP alleged.
The parliamentarian further said he had witnessed how "big-hearted" Vilasrao Deshmukh was even to his opponents.
"He would pat on the back of even his opponents. It is impossible to fill in his shoes. He (Amit Deshmukh) needs to follow in his fathers footsteps," the MP remarked.