Maharashtra has had a key role in India's growth and progress: Pranab Mukherjee

President Pranab Mukherjee, who inaugurated the new Maharashtra Sadan here on Tuesday, said Maharashtra has had a key role in the growth and progress of the country both in the pre and post independence era.

"Maharashtra was the prominent ground on which the freedom struggle of our nation was fought. In the post independence era too, the State has played a crucial role in shaping our national policies," said President Mukherjee while speaking on the occasion.

"The people of Maharashtra have always shown that they are ready to face challenges even amidst adversities," he added.

President Mukherjee dedicated the new Maharashtra Sadan not only in the service of people of Maharashtra, but in the service of the nation as a whole.

He said that the people of Maharashtra have always kept the welfare of the entire nation as their first priority.

President Mukherjee wished that the facilities in the new Maharashtra Sadan will be utilized to the fullest.

Union Minister for Agriculture and Minister of Food Processing Industries, Sharad Pawar, Union Minister for Home Affairs, Sushil Kumar Shinde, Governor of Maharashtra, K. Sankaranarayanan, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Prithviraj Chavan, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar and Minister for Public Works Department, Government of Maharashtra, Chhagan Bhujbal, were among the dignitaries present on the occasion

The new Maharashtra Sadan is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities like auditorium, video conferencing, press conference room, meeting halls, dining area, cultural centre, museum and library.

The architecture of this building draws inspiration from important symbols of Maharashtra's illustrious history and culture.