Shiv Sena Minister Slams Ajit Pawar’s Department Over ‘illegal’ Funds Diversion

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena minister Sanjay Shirsat on Saturday alleged that Rs 7,000 crore meant for his department, social justice, were “illegally” diverted to other departments by the Ajit Pawar-led finance department. The minister said it is better to shut down the social justice department if it is not important.

Though the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Mr. Pawar’s NCP are partners in the BJP-led ‘Mahayuti’ government in Maharashtra, the leaders of the three parties are often at loggerheads with each other. In the latest episode of the one-upmanship, Mr. Shirsat claimed that Rs 746 crore from the budget provision for the social justice department has been diverted to fund ‘CM Ladki Bahin (beloved sister)’ scheme.

“I am going to draw chief minister Devendra Fadanvis’s attention towards the illegal act of the finance department,” the minister said.

Accusing the finance department of taking arbitrary decisions regarding funds diversion, Mr. Shirsat said, “Earlier also, they have diverted more than Rs 7,000 crore from my department and I was not even made aware of it. If the social justice department is not required and you do not want to give funds, it is better to shut it down. How will we give scholarships to deserving students?”

Earlier in the day, Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council Ambadas Danve, also claimed that Rs 414.30 crore out of the Rs 3,960 crore allocated to the Social Justice Department had been diverted by the state government.

Mr. Danve claimed that Rs 335.70 crore was diverted from the Tribal Development Department to cover monthly cash transfers under the Ladki Bahin women’s welfare scheme. “The government stole the tribals' share of the money to pay their beloved sister's monthly salary,” the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said in a social media post.