State receives brickbats over Rs 500 crore loan

Mumbai: The Opposition has come down heavily on the Maharashtra government’s decision to seek a Rs 500 crore interest-free loan from the Shirdi Trust.

The Congress referred to the government’s actions as robbery whereas the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) said the loan is nothing but proof of the state government’s financial mismanagement.

“Devotees donate money to the Shirdi Trust. It is not just about money. These are the emotions of Saibaba devotees. The Devendra Fadnavis government is now eyeing this too. It is the robbery of the emotions of the state’s devotees,” said Congress sta-te chief Ashok Chavan. He asked the state government to take back the decision.

NCP’s chief spokesperson Nawab Malik termed the development proof of the government’s “financial mismanagement”. “These people are desperate to get money because they don’t have anything left in the treasury. The huge mismanagement of the state’s budget is now affecting every person in Maharashtra. The state government, which eyes the money of devotee, can’t be the government of the people. It needs to be ejected,” said Mr Malik.