No personal interest in files: Prithviraj Chavan hits back at ally Sharad Pawar

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan was in an unforgiving mood today. A day after his ally, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, criticised him over the alleged delay in clearing files, Mr Chavan today said his government's priority was to "take decisions which helped the common man" and not files which are "in the interest of individuals".

"We have tried to take decision as per rules. I will only say that our priority has been to take decisions which help the common man. Those files which are in the interest of individuals take time," Mr Chavan said at a press conference in Mumbai, making it obvious that the NCP was annoyed with his decisions to not clear files that promoted the personal agendas of the leaders.

At a function in Pune on Tuesday to release a book in the memory of former Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, Mr Pawar said, "I don't know whether his hands are paralysed when it comes to signing files. I came to know that he just doesn't sign on files and keeps it pending for months together. However, I will not say much as we both have to go together (in elections)."

Comparing Mr Chavan with the previous chief ministers Maharashtra has had, Mr Pawar said, "I have seen chief ministers taking decisions in seconds but today things have changed."

Without naming Mr Chavan, he added with obvious reference, "Perhaps his hands shiver due to paralysis, which is why files are not signed for months and months."

It is not the first time that the NCP has criticised the chief minister for the delays in clearing files, especially of departments held by it in the government.

But as Mr Pawar concluded after venting his ire, "I can't say much as we both have to go together."