NAGPUR: A united Opposition tried to corner the Devendra Fadnavis government over demonetisation in the lower House of the State legislature on the first day of its winter session on Monday, while in the Upper House, Maharashtra Council chairman Ramraje Naik-Nimbalkar had to order the State government to hold a meeting with Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley along with representatives from the Opposition and of district central cooperative banks, which are facing trouble.
Senior Congress leader and leader of the Opposition in the State Legislative Assembly, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, gave a notice of adjournment on demonetisation and demanded immediate discussion on the issue as the House did not have question hour in its schedule on Monday.
Mr. Vikhe-Patil said, “People all over the State are facing difficulties due to the note ban. We support this decision to stop corruption, but are against the way it is being implemented. Common people, especially small farmers, are badly hit. This decision should have disturbed corrupt people but only the common people are facing hardships. The government’s administration, devoid of planning, has suffocated people. Many in the ruling party are opposed to this decision but they can’t speak their mind because of the Central government’s pressure on them. Prices of almost every farm produce are down due to this note ban. The government has to come clear on this.”
The Nationalist Congress Party leader Mr. Ajit Pawar claimed that the 125-crore population of India supported action against black money holders.
In the Upper House, Dhananjay Munde, Leader of the Opposition in the State Council, alleged that the demonetisation drive has cost the State’s farmers Rs. 20,000 crore. “The rates of agricultural produce have fallen drastically. Labourers are not being paid as no cash is available with farmers and with the Rabi season, sowing has hit hard as no cash is available with them. We want to know what steps the government has taken to ease pressure from the rural economy,” said Mr. Munde.
Congress leader Narayan Rane blamed the government of using demonetisation to divert the attention of people from its failures to deliver on election promises, which led to a verbal altercation between him and Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar.
In the Assembly, Haribhau Bagde denied permission for an adjournment motion, which infuriated Opposition members, while in the Upper House, Mr. Naik-Nimbalkar too denied permission to conduct the discussion on the first day. Mr. Mungantiwar tried to pacify the Opposition by conceding that the people were facing “some problems” while implanting this “historic decision”.
