Chavan slams Maha alliance, says netas have failed people

Ex-CM says babus are calling shot during time of crisis ■

Senior Congress leader and former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan has raised a question mark over the functioning of Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, saying the ‘political leadership’ was absent while the bureaucrats were calling the shots in the decision making during the coronavirus crisis in the state.

“All rights of administration were currently with collectors at the district level, SDOs at the tehsil level, and while this was needed, the “political leadership was absent and nowhere to be seen.” The political leadership should take some prompt decision,” Mr Chavan said

Prithviraj Chavan

in Pune.

The economic crisis brought about by the coronavirus-induced lockdown will require “good visionary leadership to deal with issues like industries, health care system and farmers, he added.

Maharashtra is the worst affected state in the country, with Mumbai having the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the state.

The senior

Congress leader also had a word of advice to Mr Thackeray asking him to make proper appointments of Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers. “The first job of the CM is to appoint good IAS officers to the right positions. And while making the appointments, the qualification background should be considered, so as to utilise their expertise in the present condition,” he said.

According to Mr Chavan, some senior IAS officers were on ‘compulsory wait’ for a posting, while some bureaucrats were having to manage two departments simultaneously. “Currently, there are around 10 senior IAS officers on compulsory wait with no work, while there are some officers handling the charge of two departments. The CM should fill up these posts in one day,” he said.

However, the former CM said that his statement should not be seen as criticism of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government of which his party is a part. “I am not criticizing the state government. In fact, whatever I am saying should be taken positively. It should not look like I am criticising my own government,” he said.

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