CM takes charge: Will fulfil Mahayuti promise of increasing Ladki Bahin aid
Portfolio distribution almost finalised... new govt won’t go for politcal vendetta: Fadanvis
After taking charge as CM, they held their first cabinet meeting in which an approval was given for an aid of Rs 5 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for a bone marrow transplant to a blood cancer patient from Pune. (Express Photo by Ganesh Shirshekar)
Soon after taking oath as the 21st Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis Thursday announced that he will stand up to the Mahayuti’s promise of increasing the financial support to the women from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,100 every month under the Ladki Bahin Yojana.
“The government will continue the Ladki Bahin Yojana and will increase the monthly stipend per eligible woman from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,100 as promised in the manifesto… The government may, however, examine if the financial benefits under the scheme are going to those eligible,” Fadnavis said, addressing the first press conference as the third time chief minister.
Amid reports of tussle among the Mahayuti allies over allocation of portfolios, Fadnavis confimed that the porfolio discussion is almost complete and will be announced before the Winter Session of the state Assembly that begins on December 16.
“Portfolio distribution has been almost finalised and all the issues have been sorted. In a coalition government there is a process of consultation… Some issues needs to be fine tuned. We have finalised the number of cabinet ministers for each party along with the portfolios they will get,” he said.
Fadnavis also said that the Mahayuti government will not go for political vendetta and that he “respects” the opposition, despite their numbers.
Stating that his government will not be a “20-20 match but a Test match” and all promises made in the manifesto will be fulfilled, Fadnavis said that the government will ensure that the state leads in infrastructure, agriculture and industrial development.
He further said that when he requested Ekanth Shinde to accept the Deputy Chief Minister’s post, the Shiv Sena chief immediately accepted it and “was not upset at all.”
The chief minister said that the river linking project, solar energy target of 16,000 megawatts are some of the ongoing projects that will be taken up on priority and said that the Jalyukta Shivar Yojna will be strengthened.
Reassuring that the government will take along every segment together, Fadnavis said that the government will work with transparency and for the welfare of the state.
“Our government will be of change and the government won’t be of vengeance. We will respect the opposition, not based on their numbers but based on the issues they raise,” Fadnavis said.
He announced that the Speakers election will take place on December 9 and the cabinet has conveyed to Raj Bhavan to schedule the administering of oath to the newly elected legislators.
He also said that the cabinet expansion will take place before the upcoming Winter Session in Nagpur and asserted that there was no delay in government formation.
On the matter of extending invitation to the opposition leaders, Fadnavis said that he had called and sent invitations for the oath taking ceremony to all the opposition leaders including Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar and Sushil Kumar Shinde. “They congratulated me but could not attend owing to certain reasons,” Fadnavis said.
On the position of Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Fadnavis said that the decision on it will be taken by the Speaker and “that will acceptable to us”.
Soon after taking the oath, Fadnavis along with the Deputy Chief Ministers Shinde and Ajit Pawar reached the state secretariat on Thursday.
After taking charge as CM, they held their first cabinet meeting in which an approval was given for an aid of Rs 5 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for a bone marrow transplant to a blood cancer patient from Pune.
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