Deputy CM Ajit Pawar speaks at a rally in Beed on Sunday. (Facebook/Ajit Pawar)
IN pouring rain, the speech Dy CM Ajit Pawar delivered on Sunday was straight out of an election campaign. He urged the people of Baramati to vote for Mahayuti government in Assembly elections to maintain the continuity of ‘Ladki Bahin Yojana’ under which the government will deposit Rs 1,500 every month in the accounts of women aged between 21 and 65 years.
”We want to make our women self-reliant, independent and confident, for which we are implementing the Ladki Bahin Yojana. Under this scheme, our womenfolk will get Rs 18,000 every year. At the same time, you should remember that if the scheme is to continue, you have to bring the Mahayuti government back to power,” the Dy CM spoke to the large crowd that had turned their chairs into umbrellas to shelter themselves from the ongoing drizzle.
Ajit Pawar, his wife Sunetra Pawar and other party leaders— Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal, Sunil Tatkare, Dhananjay Munde and Rupali Chakankar— were on stage when it began to rain. Without pausing, Ajit Pawar continued to deliver his speech, and said rain was an auspicious sign.
Targetting the Opposition, Ajit Pawar said some parties (rivals) will make promises. ”Don’t fall prey to them. I deliver what I promised and I won’t change,” he told the gathering.
The Dy CM said Baramati would be the biggest beneficiary of the scheme. ”Baramati taluka will get Rs 180 crore under the Ladki Bahin Yojana. Over all, the state government has reserved Rs 46,000 crore for the scheme. Even the budget of some states does not amount to this,” he said. ”The scheme covers women from across the different sections of society, with the only condition that their annual household income should not be more than Rs 2.50 lakh,” he said.
Ajit Pawar said that as finance minister, he not only ensured benefits for women but also worked in favour of the farmers. ”Farmers had been requesting for electricity bills to be waived as they were in no position to pay them. MLAs and ministers had been requesting me to decide on this and so as finance minister, I have waived off electricity bills of 44 lakh farmers that amounted to Rs 14,000 crore. Hereon, MSEB officials wont pursue farmers for electricity bills,” he said.
The Dy CM said the government is giving crop insurance at Rs 1, also , and is also giving interest free crop loans. ”Farmers should take the opportunity,” he said, adding that Mahayuti government has also decided to give subsidy to milk producing farmers.
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Pawar said the state government’s intention to uplift the lives of the poor. ”We want to increase the per capita income of the poor for whch we are taking several initiatives in this regard,” he said.
During Lok Sabha elections, Ajit Pawar said an attempt was made to create a different kind of atmosphere. ”We were talking development, poverty and extending various benefits to people, but the Opposition built a false narrative that we would change the Constitution if we came to power. I want to tell people that our government will ensure justice to people from all sections of society including Muslims. It is being run on Shahu-Phule-Ambedkar ideology,” he said.
The Dy CM said recently, when he met Union Home Minister Amit Shah, he had urged him to increase the MSP for sugar. ”I told Amitbhai that FRP for sugar has been hiked, and so MSP for sugar should be increased. He asked me to submit a memorandum as he is coming to Pune district on July 20, 21. Amitbhai will also visit Kolhapur to inaugurate a hospital, and has asked for as many as 10,000 saplings to be planted thereupon,” Pawar said.
The Dy CM said he also suggested to Amit Shah to remove curbs on onion export. ”Some TV channels are peddling false news that onion is being imported. But I want to state this neither have onions been imported, nor have milk powder products. Our intention is to help farmers and we are determined to ensure that.”
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