Mumbai, Nov 29 (NationPress) The Shiv Sena (UBT) has publicly criticized the MahaYuti government, led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, for boasting about infrastructure achievements while neglecting the deteriorating healthcare and essential services in remote tribal areas.

In its editorial for Saamana, Shiv Sena (UBT) asserted that the government's assertions of development are merely “empty words” and “colorful balloons”. This critique comes as communities just a few hours away from Mumbai continue to endure hardships due to substandard roads, insufficient healthcare, and unreliable ambulance services.

The Thackeray faction urged the Chief Minister to give precedence to the fundamental requirements of impoverished and remote tribal communities, such as decent roads, healthcare facilities, and dependable ambulance services, rather than concentrating on grand projects like the Metro network and extensive highways.

This harsh critique was prompted by an incident in Mokhada, located in the tribal-dominated Palghar district, where an ambulance driver unceremoniously dropped off a tribal woman and her newborn baby halfway home post-delivery, compelling them and their family members to trek two kilometers.

The editorial noted that this incident, which gained attention only after being shared on social media, highlighted the disparity between the government’s purported development agenda and the stark realities faced by locals. It pointed out that even after seven decades of independence, regions like Wada-Mokhada and other tribal areas in the state still lack essential services.

“There are no proper roads or adequate transportation facilities. Even if a Primary Health Center (PHC) exists, it often lacks doctors, staff, or medicines. Due to poor road conditions, pregnant women and sick individuals are frequently carried in slings or palanquins to the nearest town for treatment, risking lives during the journey. Even when ambulances are available, they are often rendered ineffective due to insufficient roads or lack of drivers,” the editorial elaborated.

“In Mumbai, which the Chief Minister aspires to transform, Mokhada is merely a short distance away. If the ambulance driver could be so heartlessly negligent with a laboring tribal woman, what value does your vision of development hold?” questioned the Thackeray camp.

“The MahaYuti coalition boasts about its grand plans for development, claiming to have constructed numerous kilometers of roads and bridges. They release colorful balloons into the air, showcasing their progress on road networks, highway expansions, metro rail development, and large hospitals. However, the incident in Mokhada exposes the hollow nature of these claims,” stated the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena.

This editorial serves as a poignant reminder that while metro systems and expressways may symbolize modern development, the true measure of governance lies in providing essential services like healthcare, roads, and emergency response to the most marginalized communities.