‘I’m not Uddhav to stall projects’: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis dismisses reports of cold war in Mahayuti
From rubbishing talk of differences within the Mahayuti to reforms undertaken by the government in core key sectors like power, irrigation and infrastructure, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis outlined his government’s short- and long-term plans.
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Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis was addressing the state Legislative Assembly, responding to the motion of thanks to Governor P C Radhakrishnan. (PTI Photo)Dismissing reports of a cold war within the Mahayuti, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said “he was not Uddhav Thackeray to stall ongoing projects”. Putting the blame on the media and the Opposition for “blowing up” issues of coordination within the Mahayuti, he said the ruling alliance that has been voted to power with a landslide mandate knows its responsibilities and was working in perfect coordination.
“I am not Uddhav Thackeray who would stall projects. When (Eknath) Shinde saheb was the CM, he did not take decisions alone and both me and Ajit Pawar were part of it. Even today, we all take decisions collectively… Unfortunately, there has been a decline in the quality of news and criticism by the Opposition,” Fadnavis said.
“Even if a divisional commissioner takes a decision to stay a scheme or a project because it did not fulfill central government guidelines, it is being perceived as my deliberate attempt to stall a project that belongs to a department headed by leaders belonging to the alliance parties,” he added.
The chief minister was addressing the state Legislative Assembly, responding to the motion of thanks to Governor P C Radhakrishnan. From rubbishing talk of differences within the Mahayuti to bold reforms undertaken by the government in core key sectors like power, irrigation and infrastructure, Fadnavis outlined his government’s short- and long-term plans.
New schemes in Maharashtra
Fadnavis announced that the government will not go back on its promise of providing free electricity to 45 lakh farmers for which the state is bearing a burden of Rs 14,000 crore. He further said the state was also planning to implement its own scheme on the lines of Centre’s PM Surya Ghar Yojana, which when executed will exempt 1.5 crore people from the electricity tariff.
He also spoke of Mukhya Mantri Krishi Vahini Yojna (MMKVY), where he said the government was shifting the entire agriculture power feed to solar-generated power. “Of the total 16,000 MW targeted power generation, work for 2,000 MW has already been completed. By 2026, the remaining will be completed. This will result in bringing down the power tariff from Rs 8 to Rs 3 per unit and farmers will even get power during the daytime. It will help curtail cross-subsidy allocation between Rs 10,000 crore and Rs 15,000 crore,” he said.
Maharashtra will become the first state to make the shift to renewable energy up to 52 per cent by 2030, he said.
Reiterating his government’s commitment to making Marathwada and Vidarbha drought-free and addressing the North Maharashtra-Vidarbha and Marathwada regional disputes, Fadnavis said: “With the help of river-linking projects Wainganaga-Nalganga, Nar-Par-Girna and Tapi-Narmada we will achieve the mission.”
The Wainganga-Nalgona project will enhance irrigation potential across 10 lakh hectares across seven districts of Vidarbha. The project will be completed in the next seven years.
The allocation of agriculture pumps to farmers on demand will be raised from 1,000 to 1,500 per day. In the last one year, 14 lakh hectares of land have come under irrigation, he added.
According to the CM, the state has taken a lead in PM Surya Ghar Yojana where electricity bill will be exempt for a household consuming power up to 100 units and nearly 1.5 crore households will benefit. Similarly, he said that under Prime Minister Awas Yojna, the Centre has sanctioned 22 lakh houses for the state. The state government will provide them solar power to ensure they are also exempted from power tariff.
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