The Junagadh Municipal Corporation (JMC) is steadily turning into a political battlefield between the ruling Congress and the Opposition BJP. The rival parties have locked horns over an issue of Rs 400 crore-development grant,which was announced earlier by the BJP leaders during the JMC election. The Congress won the election and the said amount was never released. According to Mayor Satish Ahir,as soon as the Congress demanded the grant from the state governments department concerned after taking charge of the body they received a reply stating that the grant wasnt meant for JMC only,but for the development of seven other state corporations. The Mayor was also told that the grant will be issued later and the JMC will get its share accordingly. During the JMC election campaign,the state BJP leadership had publicly announced a development package,which included Rs 400 crore budgetary allocation and Rs 600 crore special development package for Junagadh, he said. Now the BJP has taken a U-turn. The party had made a false announcement to lure voters. It has cheated the people once again, he added. He openly challenged the BJP leaders for a public debate on the issue. We are ready to discuss the issue in public at any venue of the partys choice. We ask the BJP to declare the date and time for the same. The incident clearly shows that unless the BJP is voted to power,no grants will ever be released, the Mayor added. Elsewhere,Mahendra Mashru,BJP legislator from Junagadh and leader of the Opposition in the JMC,said: The BJP did not make any such announcement. The Congress should show the official proof in this regard if any. He dismissed the Congress allegation by terming it baseless. Regarding budgetary allocation,the issue is subject to the state government's discretion, he said. Deputy Mayor Girish Kotecha went further by saying that the BJP had fooled the people by making false announcements. If its leadership has any morals,they should take up the challenge for a public debate on the issue, he said. The BJP lost the JMC election to the Congress. They could not digest the defeat. The party has done nothing but made false statements during election campaigns. The said amount will never be allotted, he added.
