Maha must get back 50% of the money sent to Centre: Uddhav

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray criticized the central government for not allocating sufficient funds to Maharashtra and promised to change the laws on fund distribution to states when the government changes. He also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using the Bharat Ratna for vote bank politics and of denying job opportunities to Maharashtrian youths. Thackeray called on the Lokadhikar Samiti to use their right to elect a desired government and fight against injustice.

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray slammed the central government for sending only 7% of revenue from the central taxes to Maharashtra and demanded that the state must get its rightful 50% of funds that it sends to the centre. Speaking at Sena’s (UBT) Sthaniya Lokadhikar Samiti on Sunday, Uddhav said that when Maharashtra pays one rupee as tax to the centre, only 7 paise is returned to the state. He also added when the government in the centre changes, he would take the lead to change the laws on fund distribution to the states.

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“Maharashtra gives lakhs of crores as the contribution to central taxes but it is getting a negligible share in return. PM Modi is distributing the money given by Maharasthra’s taxpayers to distribute in the name of various schemes to the people from other states. Denying the adequate share to Maharashtra is injustice and the state should get 50% of the revenue given by it to the centre as a share in central taxes. Once the INDIA alliance comes to power, I will ensure that Maharashtra will get its right in central taxes.” said Thackeray.

Uddhav also slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for using the nation’s highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna for vote bank politics.

Thackeray claimed the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, which was the forerunner of the Bharatiya Janata Party, had opposed late chief minister Karpoori Thakur’s decision to give 26% reservation to backward classes in government jobs. “But now the BJP wants votes in the Lok Sabha polls from Bihar and so it announced the Bharat Ratna for Karpoori Thakur posthumously. I am happy his (Thakur’s) work is being acknowledged after so many years,” Thackeray said.

The BJP announced Dr S Swaminathan’s name for the Bharat Ratna but has failed to implement the recommendation made by a commission headed by him on increasing farm income, Thackeray further said. People can see through this hollowness, Thackeray claimed. He also said that PM Modi is denying job opportunities to Maharashtrian youths by shifting central establishments from Mumbai to Gujarat and other parts of the country. “Late Balasaheb Thackeray formed the Lokadhikar Samiti for the rights of Marathi youths in government jobs in Mumbai as earlier they were denied the right. Thousands of Marathi youths got jobs in central establishments, banks etc in the last fifty years due to the Samiti and Shiv Sena. But now the union government is taking away these job opportunities by shifting the establishments, and headquarters outside Mumbai. To elect the desired government and de-throne the dictatorial regime which is doing injustice to the people, denying employment opportunities to youth is Lokadhikar (right of people) and we should use this right. Lokadhikar Samitee had contributed to several political victories in the past and I have confidence that this time also it will play its role.” said Thackeray.