Calling the bullet train project a huge liability, former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan said that both, the bullet train and the elevated railway corridor, were not viable and should be wound up.
Calling the bullet train project a huge liability, former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan said that both, the bullet train and the elevated railway corridor, were not viable and should be wound up.
While speaking at Vidhan Bhavan during a debate on the irrigation scam and present government, Mr Chavan said, “When farmers from drought-hit areas need financial relief, the state and central government is planning to spend huge amounts of money over projects that are not viable. Frankly speaking, I will oppose the bullet train project. Whoever’s pet project it is, it should be scrapped.”
“The elevated rail corridor is another project which is not viable, still the state and Central government are pushing these projects. The ruling party favours these projects only for prestige,” Mr Chavan said.
The Centre should allocate Rs 10,000 crore to Maharashtra, so that it can be used for relief in drought-affected areas, he said. However, Mr Chavan admitted that the monorail project started during the Congress rule in the state was a mistake.
The former chief minister also criticised the Devendra Fadnavis government’s decision to abolish local body tax (LBT) and closing down of tollbooths.
“People from the municipal corporation jurisdiction were paying LBT sincerely, traders were playing the role of agents collecting the tax and submitting to the government. But this government abolished LBT which put Rs 7,000 crore in the state exchequer’s kitty to favour traders,” he said. Mr Chavan claimed that some of the traders threatened BJP that they would go against the party during elections if it did not promise to abolish the LBT. “Goods and Sales Tax (GST) will not be implemented from this year and hence ultimately, the burden of more than Rs 7,000 crore will be on the shoulder of the state to give compensation to the municipal corporations.
He also criticised the BJP government for closing tollbooths. “We had planned to give exemption to school bus and state transport from toll, however, this government has exempted those who use luxurious and costly cars.”
