Maharashtra Industries minister Narayan Rane today lambasted trade union leader Sharad Rao for the unwarranted strike by the civic staff demanding salaries on the lines of the Sixth Pay Commission.
Talking to reporters at Gandhi Bhavan here, Rane said Rao was a NCP leader and part of the ruling coalition. "He should take up and discuss grievances of the civic staff with Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister to find solutions rather than taking the extreme step of strike and holding Mumbaikars to ransom," the minister said.
Rane said he was against civic strike because ordinary people were troubled due to lack of basic amenities.
He said he will meet Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and Civic Commissioner Subodh Kumar and ask them to intervene and diffuse the strike.
Rane also rejected the criticism that Gujarat had surged ahead of Maharashtra in terms of development. "Gujarat may have made progress in recent times but it can't match Maharashtra. The state's share of the national GDP is 19 per cent while Gujarat is 14 per cent.
The actual investment in Maharashtra is Rs 82,000 crore while it is only Rs 62,000 crore in Gujarat in the last five years.
When asked about Congress strategy for the upcoming local bodies election, Rane said if the party leadership decides that Congress will go alone in the polls, we will work hard to ensure that their decision is a success.
