Mumbai, Jun 28, 2024, IANS

Mumbai, June 28 (IANS) Opposition parties in Maharashtra on Friday stepped up their attack against the Mahayuti government as they staged a protest at the entrance of Vidhan Bhavan during the second day of the Monsoon Session. They shouted slogans against the Mahayuti government for not helping farmers in distress following damage to their crops because of unseasonal rains, hailstorms and even drought. The Opposition also targeted the Mahayuti government over Maharashtra slipping to the sixth rank in the per capita state income and trailing behind Telangana, Karnataka and Gujarat. They also expressed serious concern over the fall in the growth rate of agriculture and allied sectors by more than 2.50 per cent and in the service sector falling by 4.2 per cent in 2023-24. Opposition party legislators led by Leaders of Opposition in the state Council and Assembly Ambadas Danve and Vijay Wadettiwar respectively demanded that the Maharashtra government give financial aid to farmers at the earliest. Besides, they also expressed serious concern over the rising public debt burden on Maharashtra. Wadettiwar said that the Economic Survey 2023-24 had shown a sharp fall in farm income and accused the government of neglecting the agriculture sector. He also blamed the Mahayuti government for the neighbouring state of Gujarat outpacing Maharashtra in per capita state income.