Mumbai, June 21 (IANS) On the eve of the Maharashtra Legislature’s Monsoon Session, the opposition coalition, Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), on Sunday announced a boycott of the traditional high-tea meeting hosted by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. 

A three-week monsoon session will begin on Monday and will conclude on July 10.

In a strongly worded letter addressed to the Chief Minister, senior MVA leaders, including Jayant Patil, Jitendra Awhad, Bhaskar Jadhav, Satej Patil, Anil Parab, Ambadas Danve, and Amin Patel, slammed the Mahayuti government for failing to address critical crises gripping the state. The opposition stated that participating in a formal tea party while the public faces severe distress would be a complete disregard for public anger. They took the unanimous decision to boycott the customary tea after they met this afternoon.

At the press conference, Jayant Patil, Bhaskar Jadhav and Satej Patil highlighted 13 core issues demonstrating the government’s “inaction and insensitivity”.

The MVA leaders emphasised that their primary reason for the boycott is that the positions of ‘Leader of Opposition’ (LoP) in both the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council remain vacant. They accused the government of undermining democratic and constitutional values by leaving these crucial watchdog positions empty and instead sending individual tea party invitations to MLAs.

Delayed rains have triggered a severe drought. Water storage levels in the state’s dams have plummeted to just 23.54 per cent, completely halting sowing operations.

The opposition called the Rs 36,585 crore Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Farmer Freedom Scheme a trap of terms and conditions rather than actual relief, demanding that farmers’ 7/12 land records be cleared unconditionally.

Farmers are receiving throwaway prices (as low as 50 paise per kg in Satana and Rs 400 for 73 bags in Solapur), while consumers pay Rs 25 per kg. The MVA also alleged a major scam in procurement, noting that 11 unqualified cooperative societies were illegally awarded NAFED procurement contracts. A compensation of Rs 22,000 per hectare for mango and cashew cultivators was deemed highly inadequate, leading to the region’s first recorded farmer suicides.

Furthermore, the Mumbai-Goa highway remains incomplete after 17 years, yet toll collection continues at Kharpada.

The MVA alleged massive irregularities in the flagship Ladki Bahin scheme. They revealed that out of 2.47 crore beneficiaries, a staggering 81 lakh were found ineligible, indicating a wrongful distribution of roughly Rs 24,300 crore. They also questioned how 14,000 men managed to register on a portal meant exclusively for women.

The opposition painted a grim picture of women’s safety and crime in the state, citing that 3,279 POCSO cases were registered in the first four months of 2026 alone. Statistics cited include an assault on a minor every 53 minutes and 24 minor rapes daily. They also flagged youth drug addiction, highlighting recent drug overdoses at a Pune rave party and a Mumbai music concert, alongside Nagpur ranking second nationwide in murder cases.

Levying severe corruption charges, the MVA claimed that contractors now face a “44 per cent commission” demand to secure government projects, plus an additional 5 per cent to get their own bills cleared. They stated that pending bills for Marathi contractors have reached nearly Rs one lakh crore.

The MVA demanded the cancellation of the 856-km Pawanar-to-Patradevi Shaktipeeth Highway, stating it unnecessarily claims thousands of acres of fertile land just to benefit contractors.

The opposition leaders noted that Latur, Pune, and Nashik emerged as centres for the nationwide NEET exam paper leak on May 3, leading to student suicides and immense mental distress.

While the government claims to have planted 1.38 crore trees, reports show Maharashtra has lost 23,000 hectares of tree cover, citing rampant cutting in Thane, Aarey, and around major corridor projects, it said.

“To register our protest against the inactive and insensitive role of the government on all these serious issues, the opposition is boycotting the official pre-session tea program. We expect the government to prioritise the problems of farmers, women, youth, labourers, students, and common citizens and take immediate concrete decisions,” said Jayant Patil, Bhaskar Jadhav and Satej Patil.

–IANS

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