Maharashtra: Cong says govt to spend Rs 150 cr on meet, govt says error in ad

Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the state's ruling Mahayuti coalition, accusing it of spending a whopping Rs 150 crore on preparations for a cabinet meeting in Ahilyanagar district.

The BJP-led coalition government, however, clarified that it had issued an advertisement for a tender worth Rs 1.5 crore for the proposed cabinet meeting, but the amount was published “incorrectly” as Rs 150 crore.

In a post on X, Sapkal attached a tender notice published in newspapers stating that Rs 150 crore will be spent on mandaps (temporary platforms), staging, green rooms, toilets, barricading, sound, air-conditioners, electricity, fire brigade and CCTV set-up for the meeting. The notice states that an e-tender will be floated on 24 April.

A cabinet meeting is scheduled on 29 April in Chondi, the birthplace of the legendary 18th century Malwa queen Ahilyabai Holkar, whose 300th birth anniversary year is being observed this year. Last year, the western Maharashtra district of Ahmednagar was renamed Ahilyanagar as a mark of honour.

The Congress leader claimed in the post that the government had said the state was in financial trouble. He pointed out that the Mahayuti government has discontinued a pilgrimage scheme for senior citizens, didn’t hike the allowance under the Ladki Bahin Yojana for women as promised during the assembly polls last year, and refused to waive farm loans.

Sapkal wrote, “Rs 150 crore is being squandered on the pavilion and arrangements for the cabinet meeting to be held at Chondi.”

He alleged that Rs 1.5 crore was spent on a helipad when Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited NCP leader Sunil Tatkare’s house in Raigad last week.

“Powerbrokers sitting in the government are enjoying five-star facilities, putting people in financial difficulty,” the MPCC president charged.

The state government, in an official statement, clarified the advertisement was for works worth Rs 1.5 crore for the proposed cabinet meeting, but the figure was wrongly printed as Rs 150 crore.

The Public Works Department has clarified that while issuing the release order for the advertisement, it was clearly stated that it was worth Rs 1.5 crore.

State Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule termed Sapkal’s criticism of the government on the tender issue as “childish”.

“On April 21, the Public Works Department, Ahilyanagar, published an advertisement for the proposed cabinet meeting at Chondi. While giving the release order for this advertisement, it is clearly stated that it is worth Rs 1.5 crore,” he said.

Bawankule said the order was published in two newspapers, but one of them had printed the amount “incorrectly”.

Sapkal hit back at the BJP minister, saying, “I assume that since you are very, very senior in politics, you can read numbers. Instead of childishly criticizing a newspaper (get information from the Public Relations Department). They have admitted that they made an unintentional mistake.”