On the first day of the Assembly’s monsoon session, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who is also the finance minister, tabled the Rs 57,000-worth supplementary demands. Of this, the allocation for the Public Works Department (PWD) was Rs 9,068 crore. Interestingly, the same PWD was given Rs 15,000 crore a few months ago under the State’s annual budget. It was learnt that the department could not spend a single paisa out of the original allocation. Yet, it also received a considerable share of the supplementary demands. A question was raised about how the department was getting such a large sum twice.Pay for pass scam in Vidhan BhavanA scandal in the precincts of the Maharashtra Legislature – corrupt officials were reportedly “selling” entry passes into the Vidhan Bhavan building for hefty amounts to anyone wishing to meet politicians and officials to do networking and other work. Some passes were sold to agents and contractors for prices ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000. The Vidhan Bhavan secretariat issues these passes to select groups of officials and journalists, based on recommendations from MLAs, MLCs, and ministers. The state legislative council chairman, Ram Shinde, has ordered an investigation into the racket to trace the source of the illegal entry passes.Steps to keep a distance from controversyClose aides of CM Devendra Fadnavis and BJP leaders, Prasad Lad and Pravin Darekar, did not find a place on the party’s election committee for local body elections, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. Previously, they had been active members of the BJP’s election strategy group. They are known for mobilising and supplying financial resources to party candidates and ensuring their victory. Their exclusion has become the subject of town gossip. The grapevine has it that the message was intended for Fadnavis to shed such controversial baggage. Fadnavis has started keeping a distance from the two.Sudhir SuryawanshiOur correspondent in Maharashtrasuryawanshi.sudhir@gmail.com
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