Fadnavis blames Congress-NCP rule for Maharashtra's problems

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday blamed the 15-year-long Congress-Nationalist Congress Party rule for the various problems plaguing the state.

"You (the Congress-NCP) have created problems... We are trying to find solutions," Fadnavis said in the Maharashtra legislative assembly here while replying to a debate on the Motion of Thanks for the governor's address last Monday.

He said the people of the state are aware that mistakes of 15 years cannot be rectified in three-four months, and assured that his government would ensure transformation here.

"Ajit Pawar (ex-deputy CM) says that the 'Jalyukta Shivar' programme of water conservation launched by us (BJP-Sena government) was launched by their government (Congress-NCP). We have integrated 14 schemes under this programme," Fadnavis said.

He said that if any credit has to be given for the work, it should go to late chief minister Y.B. Chavan who initiated water conservation works in the state.

Since it would not be possible to give flow irrigation to 50 percent farmers in the state, the government will undertake an initiative to ensure moisture security to them for which the district collector has been made nodal authority and will ensure coordination with 14 concerned departments, Fadnavis added.

Referring to the unseasonal rains wreaking damage, Fadnavis said that the IMD has given an alert of possibility of hailstorm on Friday and Saturday.

Fadnavis rejected the opposition charges that Maharashtra's share of the Damanganga river water would go to a neighbouring state, and said that this state would get its full share.

On the apprehensions that the new Mumbai Development Plan would hack green spaces, Fadnavis said these were unfounded and promised to intervene when required in the matter.