New Delhi [India], October 14 : Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly Vijay Wadettiwar on Monday termed the state government's announcement of full toll exemption for all light motor vehicles entering Mumbai as election 'jumla'.
"This is an election 'jumla' to fool people. Around Rs 800 crore will be given out of this to benefit someone, this is the politics behind it," Wadettiwar told reporters in Delhi.
UBT Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also called this a desperate measure ahead of elections.
"Just now one more announcement has been made. ..After completely finishing the law and order situation in Maharashtra, now they have taken a new decision. Elections are going to be announced today or the day after and the model code of conduct will be imposed in Maharashtra. So as a last-minute desperate measure, they have removed the 5 tolls of Mumbai from 12 midnight. This is the way they are trying their best to stay in power," she said.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said on Monday that the "historic decision" is a masterstroke that will save time and help in reducing pollution and traffic.
"At the Mumbai entry point, there used to be a traffic jam at the toll plaza. This was the demand of the people for the last several years. I am also happy that today, during my tenure as CM, lakhs of light motor vehicles have been exempted from toll. This will save their time, pollution will be reduced and there will be no traffic. This is a big historic decision; this is a masterstroke," Shinde said while talking to media persons.
Giving details about the decision, Maharashtra minister Dadaji Dagadu Bhuse told reporters that light vehicles will be exempted from toll after midnight today.
"At the time of entry into Mumbai, there were 5 toll plazas, including Dahisar toll, Anand Nagar toll, Vaishali, Airoli and Mulund. Rs. 45 and Rs. 75 were charged at these tolls, this was in effect till 2026. About 3.5 lakh vehicles used to travel up and down. About 70 thousand of them were heavy vehicles and 2.80 lakh were light vehicles. Today, the government has decided to exempt light vehicles from toll after 12 midnight...The time that people used to spend in queues will be saved. The government was discussing it for many months and today this revolutionary decision has been taken," Bhuse said.
With Assembly elections just around the corner, the Mahayuti alliance government is clearing proposals at a lightning speed.
Earlier, the Maharashtra Cabinet increased the salaries of D.Ed., B.Ed. teachers in Madrasas. It also approved to increase the share capital of Maulana Azad Minority Economic Development Corporation to Rs 1,000 crores from Rs 700 crores.
The cabinet has also decided to rename Maharashtra State Skill Development University. It is now renamed after Ratan Tata as the "Ratan Tata Maharashtra State Skill Development University.
Earlier, the state cabinet led by CM Shinde also passed a resolution urging the Centre to confer the country's highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna, to veteran industrialist Ratan Tata, who passed away in Mumbai, in recognition of his achievements.