CM Eknath Shinde, Ajit Pawar share stage; Fadnavis calls it ‘trishul’ for state’s development

On their arrival, Shinde, Fadnavis and Pawar were welcomed in traditional tribal style with tribal crowns placed on the heads of all three.

Speaking at the event, Fadnavis said, “Since the last one year, Shinde and I have been working together. But with Ajit Pawar joining the government, it has now created a ‘trishul’ of development. Ajit Pawar is our old friend. Now that he is in power with Shinde and us, our trident is complete. Our trident is of development. this trident will eradicate the poverty and backwardness of the state. Ajit Dada coming along will speed up the development of the state.”

“This ‘trishul’ is like Lord Shiva’s third eye which will reduce to ashes those who work against the common man,” he added.

Addressing the gathering, Pawar said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his team have been working for the overall development of the country for the last nine years. In such a situation, if there is a single government in the state and the Centre, development work in the state will be more speedy. Therefore, we have joined the Shiv Sena-BJP grand alliance.”

Pawar said to ensure that citizens benefit from government schemes, not just ministers but chief officers and secretaries should also visit Gadchiroli. He also stressed the need for Gadchiroli to have a modern airport.

Talking about the ‘Shasan Aaplya Dari’ (government at your doorstep) initiative, Fadnavis said it was started with a vision to take government schemes to the doorstep of common people.

Around 6.70 lakh beneficiaries from remote areas of Gadchiroli have received benefits of various government schemes in the form of tractors, cycles, godowns and caste certificates, among others, he added.

Talking about the various development works carried out by the government, he said about Rs 20,000 crore of investment is being brought into the steel industry in Gadchiroli. “The state government is working on making Gadchiroli a steel city, which will provide huge employment opportunities to local residents. Many big industrial houses are investing in Gadchiroli,” he said.

The government is transforming Gadchiroli without disturbing its culture, tradition and forest resources, the deputy chief minister added.

“By taking everyone along and keeping the environment in mind, we are going to develop Gadchiroli in such a way that there will be no backwardness and unemployment anywhere. Every youth in the district, be it tribals or OBCs, will get employment,” Fadnavis said.

The government has identified 146 acres of land for an airport in Gadchiroli and a proposal for it has been sent to the Airports Authority of India for approval, he added. “The work of laying railway lines is also underway in Gadchiroli,” he said, adding that it will be transformed into a progressive district from an aspirational district.

So far, the government has helped 45 lakh beneficiaries through its ‘Shasan Aaplya Dari’ programme.