Mumbai, March 11 – Congress Legislative Party Leader, Vijay Wadettiwar, launched a scathing attack on the Maharashtra government on Wednesday, exposing alleged malpractices, rising corruption, and administrative chaos within the Revenue, School Education, Medical Education, and Forest departments.
During departmental budget discussions, Wadettiwar accused the administration of ignoring public interest, shielding corrupt officials, and failing to address critical issues ranging from land scams to the safety of citizens in forest areas.
He highlighted several high-stakes land irregularities across the state. He alleged a plot to hand over 6,000 acres of fertile land from Shrirampur in the Ahilyanagar district, belonging to the Maharashtra State Farming Corporation, to a shell company, citing deep-rooted political interests in the Rs 6,000 crore deal.
He criticised the failure to stop the illegal transaction of 55 hectares of land belonging to tribal communities in Mawal, Pune.
He demanded an inquiry into the "MHADA (Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority) scam" in Nashik and Pune, where land reserved for LIG (Low Income Group) and EWS (Economically Weaker Section) housing has allegedly not been handed over to the authority.
In Amravati, a poor family has been fighting for land donated during the Bhudan movement in 1955. Despite orders from three successive Revenue Ministers, local officials have refused to implement the transfer. Wadettiwar labelled this "administrative arrogance," he claimed.
He further demanded a transparent Talathi recruitment process and the immediate resolution of pending salary hikes for Kotwals and Police Patils.
Turning his focus to the School Education department, Wadettiwar painted a grim picture of the state's rural schools. Thousands of buildings are in ruins, leaking during rain, and lacking basic electricity or clean drinking water. He specifically highlighted the dire lack of functional toilets, which severely impacts female students, he said.
He alleged massive corruption in the procurement of school bags and the tendering process, claiming that tenders were finalised before administrative approval was even granted.
He pointed out the injustice faced by students due to paper leaks and the inclusion of Grade 11 and 12 syllabus questions in Grade 10 exams.
He questioned why the government is hiring retired teachers while qualified, young candidates remain on waiting lists.
Wadettiwar raised the alarming issue of man-animal conflict in the Vidarbha region.
"With 35 deaths reported due to tiger attacks in Chandrapur and Gadchiroli, he demanded special funding for protective fencing around forest-fringe villages," he said.
He called for strict action against officials ignoring illegal mining and violations by coal companies on forest land.
With regard to the Haffkine Institute corruption case, Wadettiwar questioned why the government continues to reinstate and shield officials currently under investigation by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).
"Why is the government backing corrupt officers even after inquiries were ordered by the Deputy Speaker and Deputy Chairperson?" he asked.