Mumbai, March 11 (NationPress) The Leader of the Congress Legislative Party, Vijay Wadettiwar, fiercely criticized the Maharashtra administration on Wednesday, revealing alleged corrupt practices, increasing corruption, and disarray within the Revenue, School Education, Medical Education, and Forest departments.

During discussions on departmental budgets, Wadettiwar accused the government of neglecting the public's interest, protecting corrupt officials, and failing to tackle pressing issues, including land scams and the safety of residents in forest regions.

He pointed out various significant land irregularities throughout the state, alleging a scheme to transfer 6,000 acres of fertile land in Shrirampur, Ahilyanagar district, owned by the Maharashtra State Farming Corporation, to a shell company, motivated by deep-rooted political interests in a Rs 6,000 crore transaction.

He condemned the inability to prevent the illegal sale of 55 hectares of land belonging to tribal communities in Mawal, Pune.

Wadettiwar called for an inquiry into the alleged MHADA (Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority) scam in Nashik and Pune, where lands designated for Low Income Group (LIG) and Economically Weaker Section (EWS) housing have reportedly not been transferred to the authority.

In Amravati, a disadvantaged family has been struggling for 20 years for land donated during the Bhudan movement in 1955. Despite directives from three consecutive Revenue Ministers, local officials have refused to follow through on the transfer, which Wadettiwar labeled as administrative arrogance.

He also called for a transparent recruitment process for Talathis and the prompt resolution of pending salary increases for Kotwals and Police Patils.

Shifting his attention to the School Education sector, Wadettiwar depicted a dire state of rural schools, with numerous buildings in decay, leaking roofs during rain, and lacking basic amenities such as electricity and clean drinking water. He particularly emphasized the severe shortage of functional toilets, a situation that adversely affects female students.

He alleged significant corruption in the procurement processes for school bags, asserting that tenders were finalized before receiving administrative consent.

He pointed out the injustices faced by students due to paper leaks and the inappropriate inclusion of Grade 11 and 12 syllabus questions in Grade 10 examinations.

Wadettiwar questioned the government's decision to hire retired teachers while qualified young candidates remain on waiting lists.

He also raised concerns about the alarming rate of man-animal conflicts in the Vidarbha region.

“With reports of 35 deaths due to tiger attacks in Chandrapur and Gadchiroli, he urged for special funding to erect protective fencing around villages adjacent to forests,” he stated.

Furthermore, he demanded stringent actions against officials overlooking illegal mining activities and violations by coal companies on forest land.

Regarding the Haffkine Institute corruption case, Wadettiwar questioned the government's decision to continue reinstating and protecting officials currently under investigation by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).

“Why is the government supporting corrupt officials, even after inquiries were initiated by the Deputy Speaker and Deputy Chairperson?” he asked.