Mumbai, Feb 22 (IANS) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday challenged the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) to substantiate its allegations against the government on the floor of the state legislature, ahead of the Budget Session beginning this week.

Addressing a press conference after attending a Cabinet meeting, Shinde criticised the opposition for making allegations outside the legislature and urged them to raise the issues during official proceedings.

He said if the opposition had credible evidence of corruption or administrative lapses, it should present it in the legislature, where it could be discussed and addressed formally.

Shinde also questioned the opposition’s organisational unity, referring to the absence of officially recognised Leaders of the Opposition in both the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council.

He said decisions regarding the appointment of Leaders of the Opposition would be taken by the Assembly Speaker and the Chairman of the Legislative Council, rejecting claims that the government was obstructing such appointments.

The Deputy Chief Minister said the government remained focused on development and welfare initiatives, citing schemes such as the Majhi Ladki Bahin programme. He said the government’s performance would stand scrutiny during legislative discussions.

Shinde also criticised a recent protest by Youth Congress workers at the AI Summit in New Delhi, alleging that such actions were inappropriate and reflected negatively on the country’s image.

Referring to the recent collapse of a pillar at an under-construction Metro site in Mulund, Shinde said the state government had taken immediate action, including suspending the Executive Engineer concerned and ordering a comprehensive safety audit of ongoing infrastructure projects.

He said the government had announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the families of those who died in the incident and full medical coverage for those injured. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) had also announced additional compensation of Rs 15 lakh.

Shinde said the upcoming Budget for 2026–27 would focus on public welfare and development and expressed confidence that it would benefit citizens across the state.

–IANS

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