Nagpur: Continuing in his ‘opposition leader’ mode from the winter session of state legislature in Nagpur, senior BJP MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar turned the heat on the state govt yet again during the ongoing budget session in Mumbai. He raised questions on milk pricing, paddy bonus and delays in legislative replies in his trademark aggressive style. Seeking a structural mechanism for milk pricing, Mungantiwar asked, “Will the govt appoint a committee that studies milk pricing scientifically and submits a report every three years so that decisions can be taken on that basis?” He argued that milk producers must survive and cattle should not be pushed into distress sale. “There can be no greater sin than forcing cattle into slaughter due to economic compulsion,” he said. Drawing a comparison, the Ballarpur MLA said the price of one litre of milk is lower than that of country liquor. He noted that govt employees get pay commissions periodically and sugarcane farmers benefit through a central mechanism, and asked why a similar institutional mechanism could not be considered for milk producers.On paddy bonus, Mungantiwar pressed civil supplies minister of state Yogesh Kadam for clarity. “If the govt resolution is issued within two days, only then can the matter go before the cabinet. Otherwise it may not happen,” Mungantiwar said. He demanded a clear answer and urged the minister not to give evasive replies.Mungantiwar also criticised administrative delays in responding to legislators’ questions. Referring to a question raised on March 16, 2022, for which he received a reply just last week, he asked whether officials were unafraid of such delays. He sarcastically suggested that the assembly must pass a “Thoko Bill-2026” against errant officials and demanded a report within two days. In the previous sessions, Mungantiwar’s aggression was attributed to him being miffed at being excluded from the cabinet. But recently, he engineered a nearly-impossible task of securing the Chandrapur mayor’s seat for BJP, despite the party not securing majority in the civic elections. The Chandrapur feat, done with full support from the party, was interpreted by many as a thaw in relations. But Mungantiwar’s aggressive tone, something which ruling party MLAs usually desist from so as not to put their own party in the dock, continues.
