Pro-Vidarbha outfit sets Jan 1 deadline for statehood demand

Mumbai, Sep 13 (PTI) An outfit seeking statehood forVidarbha region today criticised the BJP-led governments inMaharashtra and at the Centre for not showing "political will"to resolve the decades-long issue and gave them a deadline ofJanuary 1 to meet its demand. Vidarbha Rajya Andolan Samiti (VRAS) said the "backwardregion" in eastern Maharashtra can achieve all-arounddevelopment only when it is granted statehood which will allowit to take decisions independently. Addressing a press conference here, Wamanrao Chatap, amember of the core committee of VRAS, said, "We stronglybelieve the overall development of Vidarbha is only possiblewhen it is made a separate state." "Unless elected leaders of Vidarbha get full authorityto take decisions on utilising resources of the region andcreating new opportunities, issues like farmers suicides can’tbe resolved. "We are not against Maharashtra or its leadership butwe want freedom of decision-making by focusing only ondevelopment of Vidarbha, which is experiencing neglect of morethan half a century," said the former MLA. He said the Samiti has organised a mock session of’Vidarbha Assembly’ on October 3 and 4 at Vasantrao DeshpandeHall in Nagpur. "We will highlight the revenue model of aseparate Vidarbha in the mock Assembly, where the Budget for’Vidarbha State’ will be tabled and discussed." History stands testimony to the fact that whenever astate has been formed, its growth in terms of GDP has been farbetter than the mother state, the VRAS leader maintained. VRAS has demanded that issue of granting statehood to theregion, comprising 11 districts, which is famous for growingoranges and cotton, be resolved by January 1, 2017. The central and the state government lack "politicalwill" to resolve the issue, the Samiti leader alleged. "If the governments (at the Centre and in Maharashtra) donot pay serious attention to our demand before January 1, thepeople from all the walks of life in Vidarbha would come outon the streets and launch an agitation," he said. Chatap claimed it was very unfortunate Chief MinisterDevendra Fadnavis, who belongs to Vidarbha, was "notinterested" in giving statehood to the region. "BJP fought the election on separate Vidarbha issue. Itgave a Chief Minister who hails from Vidarbha, but neither BJPnor Fadnavis has shown any interest to resolve the issue. Theparty is running its government with the support of Shiv Sena,which is vehemently opposing statehood for Vidarbha," healleged. The press conference was allegedly briefly disruptedby members of Raj Thackeray-led MNS, which is vehementlyopposed to any division of Maharashtra. Terming MNS’ protest as "undemocratic", Chatap saideveryone has right to express his or her views." PTI APM RSYKIS