Sena redirects Rs 1 cr funds for poor kids, Opposition says 'illegal'

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The Opposition has dubbed a move by the Shiv Sena-led Standing Committee to redirect Rs 1crore funds meant for providing poor women with sewing machines to give laptops and tabs to needy kids as illegal and an attempt to lure citizens ahead of the Assembly elections. However, Sena leader Yashvant Jadhav has denied the allegations.

According to the proposal, there is a budgetary allocation of Rs 1 crore under the special fund meant for providing underprivileged and needy women of ward number 206, where Jadhav is a corporator, with sewing machines. However, the assistant commissioner of E ward has directed transfer of the fund to provide notebooks, tabs and laptops to the needy students of the same ward. Sources said Jadhav cleared the proposal without discussing it with Opposition parties. However, Opposition leader Ravi Raja alleged that Sena was illegally diverting the funds to lure citizens ahead of the Assembly elections. "The Standing Committee is illegally diverting funds. Also, if it is legal and he is doing it for his ward, then it should be allowed across the city," Raja said.

Another corporator, Rais Shaikh, group leader of Samajwadi Party, also raised similar allegations. "The fund transfer is completely illegal. It will affect the main beneficiary - poor women - for whom it was created. There should be a uniform policy regarding such fund transfers and all corporators should be allowed to do the same," said Shaikh. However, Jadhav denied all the allegations. "The fund transfer is legal and other corporators, too, can transfer funds for the welfare of citizens," he said.

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