``We welcome the decision of the Democratic Front Government to present a White Paper. I will go a step further and request my successor Vilasrao Deshmukh to ask the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to probe into the transactions during the alliance rule,'' Rane said.

Launching a frontal attack on the new government, Rane said it was essential to probe into the reasons for securing such huge loans. ``I feel that if the Congress party, which was at the helm of affairs ever since Independence, had done its job carefully, then no loan would have been required to implement projects of public interest. But when we took over, we found that it (the Congress) had miserably failed in its duties and meet the aspirations of the people. Under suchcircumstances, we had no option but to knock at the doors of the financial institutions,'' Rane pointed out.

Elaborating on the need of huge loans, Rane said that in 1991 the irrigation department was allocated Rs 3611 crore and in the following four years, when the Sena-BJP alliance was in power, it provided Rs 11863 crore. ``Such huge budgetary provision was necessary because we were on the verge of losing our share of water from the Krishna River. If we do not utilise the water by May 2,000, then our share will be reduced,'' he added.

On the power front, Rane claimed that saffron alliance had disbursed Rs 6203 crore as against Rs 5666 crore during Congress rule, while for Public Works Department (PWD) it spent Rs 4888 crore against Congress' Rs 2780 crore. ``We succeeding in connecting 97 per cent of the villages in the State with all-weather roads. Compared to other states, it was one of our biggest achievements,'' he claimed.

So far as the public toilets were concerned, Rane said till 1995, 75,000toilets were constructed, while during the alliance rule, a record number of 13 lakh toilets were built, particularly in the rural areas.

On budgetary provision for drinking water, Rane claimed that it was highest ever since the formation of Maharashtra. ``During 1991-95, a provision of Rs 1237 crore was made against Rs 3473 crore during the alliance rule,'' he added.

Strongly criticising the new Chief Minister, Rane said he was probably the first political head of the State, who has not been able to allocate portfolios a week after the swearing-in of his cabinet colleagues. ``I think he should first set his house in order and then make big talks,'' he remarked.