MUMBAI, Nov 17: Much to the discomfort of Chief Minister Manohar Joshi MPs of the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today strongly criticised the alliance Government for lack of coordination between them and the administration.

``I feel there is no coordination between the MPs and the alliance Government,'' said high-profile Sena MP Sanjay Nirupam, who expressed his views openly at the meeting of MPs from Maharashtra convened by Joshi in view of the ensuing session of the Parliament.

Listing specific cases, Nirupam pointed out that the alliance Government had asked the MPs to impress upon the Centre the need to make payment of Rs 57 crore from the Railway Board towards expenditure incurred on railway police by the State Government and providing civic amenities to the slumdwellers on the land belonging to the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

Nirupam said when he raised the issue of arrears, the then Minister of State for Railways Satpal Maharaj had informed that in the absence of a certificate from the Accountant General's office, it would not be possible to release the payment. Secondly, Satpal Maharaj had stated that the amount was Rs 1.62 crore and not Rs 57 crore as claimed by the State Government.

``I have handed over the reply to the Government. In this case, there appears to be a lapse on the part of the State Government,'' Nirupam added.

Referring to civic amenities to the slumdwellers on airport land, Nirupam said the Mumbai Municipal Corporation has informed him that the Airport Authority of India has restrained it.

However, the same corporation has extended more facilities to a five star hotel, which has encroached upon the airport land, Nirupam alleged.

Both the BJP and the Shiv Sena MPs pointed out that the booklet highlighting the issues of the State was submitted to them just two to three days prior to the beginning of the session. Said a BJP MP, ``The booklet contains the same issues. But what surprised us is that there is no coordination between the MPs and the State Government after the session is over.''

The BJP leader was critical of the style of functioning of the Cabinet members. ``They come to New-Delhi by the morning flight and return to Mumbai by the evening flight. They never inform any of the MPs about their visit. Under such circumstances, how one can expect cooperation,'' he wondered.

Another Sena MP felt that the lack of coordination was at the bureaucratic level. ``Their casual approach is adversely affecting the situation,'' the MP said.

Earlier, Joshi urged the MPs to take up with the Centre the issue of payment of wages to the State Government employees as per the recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission. If the recommendations are implemented in letter and spirit, while the annual burden will be Rs 5,000 crore, the Government will have to release an additional Rs 8,000 crore towards the arrears.

``The Centre should adopt the model followed by the University Grants Commission, which finances the implementation of the revised payscales of teachers all over the country for the first five years,'' Joshi said.

Other issues raised by Joshi are Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute, establishment of separate statutory development board for Konkan, central assistance for the development of minor ports, provision of 50 per cent central assistance for construction of court buildings, second Mumbai Urban Transport Project, coastal zone management plan, railway project in Navi Mumbai, difficulties in the implementation of the Targeted Public Distribution System, inadequate fuel supply to power projects and problems of slums located on Central Government land in Mumbai.

As per official records, the slum population on Central Government lands in Mumbai is Rs 2.45 lakh in 168 pockets.

Joshi said in the view of the difficulties in implementation of the provisions of Panchayat Raj (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, the period of extension should be extended by two years.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.