No one from Maharashtra attended meetings on Union budget: Karad

Union Minister of State for Finance Bhagwat Karad on Thursday said there had been no representation from Maharashtra at meetings conducted by the Centre to discuss the upcoming Union budget.

He said views of states are necessary at such meetings.

''Chief Minister (Uddhav Thackeray) can't attend meetings now...I can understand his health issues. But whenever meetings were held to discuss the upcoming Union budget, there was no representation from Maharashtra,'' Karad said.

Karad was talking to reporters after a programme on financial inclusion organized in Aurangabad by Maharashtra Gramin Bank and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).

Karad said if the Maharashtra finance minister (Ajit Pawar) can not attend such meetings on the Union budget, he should at least send his deputy.

''No one was present from Maharashtra for meetings held for the Union budget. None came (from the state) for online meetings, too. They might have sent their views through email or post, but chief ministers of seven states were present for these meetings,'' he said.

Maharashtra is ruled by a coalition consisting of the Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress.

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