CM visualises Vision 2005 on completion of one year in office

In an interview to The Indian Express, Deshmukh said, “When we took over, the coffers were empty. We had no funds even for the payment of wages and salaries of the employees. I don’t claim that we have overcome the situation. But certainly, the situation is under control now owing to reforms introduced by us,” Deshmukh added.

The Chief Minister said his government has introduced stringent measures to tackle the economic crisis. Besides, a complete ban on transfers, a massive cut has been imposed on non-planned expenditure to garner additional funds for developmental funds.

Secondly, the Chief Minister said, there was a proposal to control the expenditure on conveyance of officials. As per official records, the government was paying at least Rs 25,000 per vehicle, used by the officials. “I have asked the Finance Department to examine the proposal to curb the expenditure. The proposal is that the officials will be asked to buy their own cars and the Government will give a monthly allowance of Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000. If we accept the proposal, the government will save at least Rs 10,000 per car per month,” he pointed out.

Deshmukh said since the submission of the white paper on the economy, last year, his Government had geared up the resource mobilisation drive as well as recovery of outstanding arrears. “We will have to concentrate on the sales tax, excise and revenue department for the purpose,” he said.

The Chief Minister admitted that despite a series of measures, his Government had to draw overdrafts to tackle the financial crisis.

On his Government’s achievements, Deshmukh said the biggest achievement was transfer of statutory powers to the panchayati raj institutions as per the provisions of the constitution. “Certainly, there was strong opposition from a section of my cabinet colleagues, but I took the decision to empower the Zilla Parishads and Panchayat samitis, the real democratic institutions at the grassroot level,” Deshmukh added.

On his Government’s stability, Deshmukh said he did not see any problems in his government completing its full five-year term as the DF was the best and the only secular arrangement in the State to keep the communal Shiv Sena-BJP combine out of power. On the Pawar-Sonia stand-off, Deshmukh said he was of the opinion that at least on some occasions, it should be avoided in the larger interest of the State Government.

“Pawar’s statements against the Congress will not have any adverse impact on the administration. It is clear in our minds that the Government and political parties are different. As such, both of us are free to criticise each other’s parties,” he said.

When his attention was drawn to Pawar’s views on the reduction of the cabinet’s size, Deshmukh said it was not possible in a coalition government. “It is true that owing to huge size of the cabinet, there is extra burden on the state exchequer, but in a coalition government, one has to adjust to all the partners,” he said.

On serious charges of corruption against him, Deshmukh said they were politically-motivated. “I have already filed a Rs 100-crore defamation suit against the BJP leader and they have also filed a case against the government in the Pune land case. So wait till the outcome of the court decision,” he added.