Nanded (Maharashtra), Oct 31 Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) youth leader Sujat Ambedkar on Saturday demanded that the Kumbh Mela in Nashik be organised in a symbolic way, and the thousands of crores of rupees earmarked for the event be diverted towards drought relief.
Addressing a press conference here, he said Maharashtra was facing a severe drought, and urged the government to immediately establish fodder camps and waive the fees for all competitive examinations.
Sujat is the son of former MP Prakash Ambedkar.
He also criticised the state government’s development policies and the tree felling for Torrent’s power project in Karjat while expressing concern about the government’s plan to encourage the setting up of water-guzzling data centres.
Such projects, allegedly being promoted to benefit companies from Gujarat, would pose a serious threat to the environment and lead to the exploitation of Maharashtra’s natural resources, Sujat Ambedkar said.
He also accused private finance companies of exploiting ordinary citizens by charging exorbitant interest rates. He alleged that some companies were operating with the support of local political representatives, police personnel and the administration.
He called for an end to illegal recovery practices and strict regulation of private finance companies.
(PTI News)
