Will fulfil promise of hiking 'Ladki Bahin' stipend to Rs 2,100: Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday assured his government will continue the Ladki Bahin Yojana and fulfil Mahayuti's pre-poll promise of hiking the monthly stipend under the scheme to Rs 2,100 from Rs 1,500 now to eligible women.

Addressing his maiden press conference after taking over as CM in the evening, he said he will provide a stable government over the next five years and the state under his leadership will see politics of change and not revenge. 

 

Fadnavis said the mandate of people in the 2024 assembly elections reflected their huge expectations and love, and he is feeling the pressure of their hope.

He maintained Maharashtra will grow with same speed in social, infrastructure, industrial sectors as seen in the last two-and-a-half years.

The CM said the Ladki Bahin Yojana, a cash transfer scheme target at women from poor families launched by the firs Mahayuti government, will continue and channelization of financial resources will be done during the next budget. 

 

Fadnavis assured the ruling coalition will fulfil its pre-poll promise of hiking the monthly stipend under the scheme to Rs 2,100 from Rs 1,500 now.

The CM informed that election of a new assembly speaker will take place on December 9 during a three-day special session of the house beginning from December 7 in Mumbai.

Fadnavis said the new cabinet, which currently has deputy CMs Eknath Shinde (Shiv Sena) and Ajit Pawar (NCP), will be expanded before the winter session of the state legislature which will he held in Nagpur later this month.

"Talks on cabinet formation are in the last stage," the CM averred.

The CM stated that even though the opposition strength in the new assembly has reduced, his government "will address all valid issues raised by them."  The BJP leader insisted his party was not opposed to a caste census, but it was against weaponizing the exercise for political purpose.

"The (2022) caste census (survey) in Bihar was done with our support. We have to first decide what we want to achieve through it," he said.

Fadnavis asserted the next five years will see a stable government in Maharashtra.

"There will be politics of change and not revenge," he maintained.

He said the issue of Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the assembly, where the Maha Vikas Aghadi has less than 50 members in the 288-strong house, has to be decided by the new speaker and not the government.

In the Lok Sabha, when the main opposition party didn't have enough numbers for the LoP post, the leader of the largest political outfit had been given all powers, he pointed out.

Fadnavis insisted his government will be a people-oriented administration which will function with transparency and take the state forward on path of development with speed.

Asked who will get the key home and finance portfolios, the CM avoided a direct reply and said, "they will be with our government".

He rejected suggestions that Shinde, who headed the first Mahayuti government and was denied a second term as CM, was upset.

"Shinde immediately agreed to my request to join the government," he said.

"The main leader has to be a part of the government to ensure smooth functioning," he said.

Fadnavis said river linking, solar power projects, development in social, infrastructure, industries will not stop.

"Roles may have changed, but focus and direction remain the same," he said on becoming CM after serving as deputy CM under Shinde in the first Mahayuti government.

Fadnavis, who served as CM for the first time from 2014 to 2019, pointed out that Shinde, then in the undivided Shiv Senea, was in his cabinet at that time.

The CM said he had phoned opposition leaders Sharad Pawar, Sushilkumar Shinde, Uddhav Thackeray and Prithviraj Chavan, and also Raj Thackeray of the MNS personally and invited them for his swearing-in ceremony.

"All of them congratulated me and wished me. They couldn't attend the swearing-in because of individual reasons. Dialogue shouldn't end in politics among political leaders," he said.

On his journey of the last five years, half of which was spent in the opposition when the MVA government was in office, Fadnavis referred to the message of "faith and patience" given by revered saint Saibaba.