Mumbai, Dec 15 (PTI) The Maharashtra cooperation department has issued a notice to Leader of Opposition in the state Legislative Council, Pravin Darekar, asking him to explain his "labourer" status when his monthly earnings are over Rs two lakh as a legislator.

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The notice also pointed out that, as per Darekar's election affidavit, his immovable assets are worth Rs 2.09 crore. Hence prima facie, he does not appear to be a labourer, it said.

Darekar, who belongs to BJP, recently won the election as a director of the Mumbai District Central Cooperative Bank. He had contested it as a member of the Pratidnya Labour organisation for which one has to be a registered labour worker to represent it.

Darekar has been in politics for a long time. He had earlier served as an MLA.

“It is true that a notice has been issued to Pravin Darekar regarding the labour organisation he represents. It is a departmental inquiry and it will take its own course,” Maharashtra Cooperation Minister Balasaheb Patil told PTI.

Pointing out at Darekar's active involvement in politics and holding legislative posts, the Cooperation department issued him a notice on Tuesday evening.

“The department has asked Darekar to make a representation and present his side on December 21 before the divisional officer of the cooperation department. As per the definition of a labour organisation, the member has to be involved in some physical labour work and it should be his or her main source of livelihood,” said an official from the state cooperation department.

The election affidavit of Darekar mentions that his immovable assets are worth Rs 2.09 crore. Hence prima facie, Darekar does not appear to be a labourer, the notice said.

Darekar, a former Shiv Sainik, was among the first leaders who left the party to join the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena after its formation in 2006.

He went on to become an MLA from Mumbai but after the 2014 Maharashtra assembly polls, he switched allegiance to BJP and became an MLC. After the 2019 elections, he was elected as Leader of Opposition in the legislative council.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)