Page 28 - Devendra Fadnavis

Power tariff: Maha govt will ensure hike is not irrational, says Fadnavis

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said the state government will ensure the proposed hike in electricity tariffs is not irrational. Fadnavis, who holds the power portfolio in the Eknath Shinde government, was speaking in the Legislative Council. "The tariff hike is proposed because of the rising cost of coal and other factors that are unavoidable. Our government will not impose any extra charge on consumers. If required, our government will intervene to ensure Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) does not increase power tariffs irrationally," he said. "There is going to be some hike in power rates because of factors such as import costs, transportation, wages etc. We will ensure the hike is linked with the increased input cost for power generation, he added. Sources said the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd has proposed 14 per cent hike in power tariff. Fadnavis said the MERC never accepts a hike proposal as it is

Shinde govt's 1st budget offers relief in professional tax, aid for farmers

The Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government on Thursday presented its maiden Budget for 2023-24 in which it proposed Rs 6,000 assistance to farmers and Re 1 crop insurance scheme while also offering relief in professional tax to working women, 50 per cent discount on ticket fares to women in state-run buses and a new scheme for the girl child. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is also the state Finance Minister, presented a revenue deficit budget of Rs 16,222 crore in the Legislative Assembly with a total outlay of Rs 1,72,000 crore. Announcing a crop insurance scheme for farmers at Re 1, the deputy CM said the government will bear the financial burden of Rs 3,312 crore. "Under the earlier crop insurance scheme, the farmers had to pay two per cent of the crop insurance premium. Now, the farmers will not need to pay anything as the government will pay the premium amount," he said. Apart from this, the budget also proposed the 'Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Scheme', under whi

50 km metro network to be added in Mumbai region this year, says Fadnavis

As much as 50 km of metro network will be added in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) in 2023-24, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Thursday. He made the announcement while presenting the 2023-24 Budget in the state Assembly. Projects including the Mumbai Metro line 10 (Gaimukh to Shivaji Chowk, Mira road with a total length of 9.2 km and estimated cost of Rs 4,476 crore, Mumbai Metro Line 11 from Wadala to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSTM) with a total length of 12.77 km and estimated cost of Rs 8,739 crore, and Metro line 12 from Kalyan to Taloja with a length of 12.77 km and estimated cost of Rs 5,865 crore will be completed, he said. For the Mumbai beautification project, 820 public utility improvement works have been undertaken at a cost of Rs 1,729 crore, he said. A project worth Rs 424 crore is being undertaken to connect Thane and Vasai creeks for water transport around Mumbai. A project costing Rs 162.20 crore has been approved for .

Unseasonal rains destroyed crops on 13,729 ha in 8 districts: Fadnavis

Recent unseasonal rains damaged standing crops on 13,729 hectares in 8 districts of Maharashtra and orders have been issued to provide immediate relief, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the state assembly on Wednesday. He said the untimely showers affected crops like mango, wheat and harbhara' (Bengal gram). Orders to release immediate relief and financial assistance have been issued, said Fadnavis. Maximum damage has been reported from Palghar, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Jalgaon, Nandurbar, Dhule, Buldhana and Washim districts, he said. A decision on immediate relief was taken on Tuesday night based on preliminary information and the exact extent of damage is being ascertained, he said. On Tuesday, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's office said that he had spoken with the chief secretary and a few district collectors about the damage to crops. He had also instructed revenue officials to conduct the damage assessment survey of the affected areas, his office had said. On Wednesda

Anger, desperation in Uddhav's speech in Ratnagiri rally: Fadnavis

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said only anger and desperation could be seen in Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray's speech during his rally in Ratnagiri and there was nothing new in it. In a rally held in Khed on Sunday, Thackeray targetted the Election Commission over allotting the party's name and symbol to the rebel faction and termed it a "slave" of people in power. The Sena leader claimed that it was Bal Thackeray who stood with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) when it was politically "untouchable", and dared the former ally to seek votes in Maharashtra only in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi without invoking the Thackeray senior. Talking to reporters in Bhiwandi on Sunday night, Fadnavis said, "Same words, same sentences, same taunts, nothing new was said at the meet. As 40 people left the party from under his (Uddhav's) nose, we could see anger and desperation in his speech. There was nothing more in his speech. It won't be proper to react t

MVA members protest against LPG price hike in the legislature complex

Legislators of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on Thursday staged a protest in the Maharashtra legislature complex against the hike in cooking gas price and demanded its rollback. The cooking Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) price was on Wednesday was hiked by Rs 50 per cylinder. Members of the MVA, which comprises the Nationalist Congress Party, Congress and the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), stood on the stairs of the Vidhan Bhavan on Thursday and shouted slogans against the state Eknath Shinde-BJP government, accusing it of hurting the interests of the common man and farmers. Since the time this government has come to power, the common man's household budget has collapsed. The electricity connections of farmers are being cut, they claimed. The budget session of the state legislature is currently underway. Following the price hike, a 14.2-kg LPG cylinder in Delhi now costs Rs 1,103, up from Rs 1,053, according to a price notification of state-owned fuel retailers. State-owned

Creating infra to win back startups & businesses to Maharashtra: Deputy CM

Devendra Fadnavis also reiterated that the state is aiming to stay number one in the space of fintech startups

Pawar was ready to form govt with BJP, but did not want Fadnavis as CM

Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule claimed on Wednesday that NCP supremo Sharad Pawar was willing to form an alliance with the BJP in 2019, but with a rider that Devendra Fadnavis should not be made chief minister. "It was his (Pawar's) agenda that Fadnavis should not become Chief Minister of Maharashtra. He knew that if Fadnavis became CM, the NCP will be flattened. He experienced that in 2014 and 2019. He was okay with anyone else as CM," Bawankule told reporters here. Fadnavis had claimed recently that his short-lived alliance government with NCP leader Ajit Pawar had Sharad Pawar's backing.

Maha CM assures probe into Sanjay Raut's 'threat to life' allegation

A day after Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut alleged threat to his life, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday said police will check the claim and act accordingly. Raut on Tuesday wrote to the police alleging "threat to life" from CM Shinde's son Shrikant Shinde. "Lok Sabha member Shrikant Shinde has given a 'supari' (contract) to kill me to a Thane-based criminal Raja Thakur. I have confirmed information regarding the same. I am informing you as a responsible citizen," Raut said in his letter submitted to the Mumbai police commissioner, copies of which were also sent to Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who holds the home portfolio. Responding to a query on Raut's allegations, CM Shinde said the allegations will be thoroughly investigated. "Investigation will also be done to check if if this (Raut's claim) is based on facts or is a stunt. It is our job to ensure security, law and order in the state," Shinde told reporters after the cabinet meeting here.

Govt has asked MPSC to rethink implementation of new syllabus: Fadnavis

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said the state government has asked the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) to reconsider its decision to change the syllabus for its exams from this year. If the commission -- which holds competitive exams for government jobs -- did not reconsider, the government might move a court, he said. MPSC students are agitating against the commission's decision to introduce new syllabus from 2023. They want it deferred till 2025, stating that students are not prepared enough to tackle the new syllabus. "MPSC is an autonomous body, and the state government can not give a direction to it," Fadnavis said. But the commission did respond to the state government's earlier letter, and informed that after a discussion, its members were of the view that the syllabus be implemented from this year, he said. Notably, Fadnavis himself had earlier backed the MPSC's decision, saying that sooner or later the new syllabus would have

Fadnavis cites reports, asks officials to make drought mitigation plan

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has asked officials to prepare a comprehensive mitigation plan due to the possibility of drought this year, an official said on Thursday. The official said Fadnavis cited media reports of the United States government's weather agency National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) indicating a possibility of 'El Nino' condition developing late summer. As per weather experts, an 'El Nino' condition is when surface water in the equatorial Pacific Ocean becomes warmer than average and the east winds get weaker, bringing about extremes that include flooding or drought. "There is likelihood of a drought situation this year and the government needs to be well prepared to ensure people's hardship is minimised," the official said. The directives came at the cabinet meeting earlier this week, he added.

What I said is 100% true: Fadnavis on his claim on govt with Ajit Pawar

Sticking to his statement that Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar had backed his plan to form a government with his nephew Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis on Wednesday said his statement was "100 per cent true" and he was not lying. "Whatever I had said was 100 per cent true, and there was no lie in it. I won't speak today on various interpretations that are being derived. I want to speak more on this, and I will speak at an appropriate time and that time is yet to come," Fadnavis told reporters here. When asked that following his statement, Ajit Pawar is "not reachable", the deputy CM said that he cannot speak about the NCP leader. "He should decide what he has to say," Fadnavis added. In one of the biggest political surprises in Maharashtra, the then Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari swore in Fadnavis as the CM and Ajit Pawar as deputy CM in an early morning ceremony on November 23, 2019. But the government lasted just three days,

In which case were you fearing arrest? Shiv Sena (UBT) asks DyCM Fadnavis

The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Wednesday took a dim view of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' claim that the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government had tried to put him in jail, and asked the BJP leader in which case was he "fearing" arrest. An editorial in the Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' claimed that IPS officers had threatened MVA legislators to support Fadnavis and spied on them by tapping their phones. Fadnavis should explain if such "illegal" phone tapping is a crime or not, it said. Maharashtra's political culture has never seen instances of arrest of political opponents and harassment of their family members, the Marathi publication said. After the 2019 Assembly polls, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena snapped ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the issue of sharing the chief ministerial post. Thackeray later tied-up with the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress to form the MVA in the state. His government collapsed in June last year after

Maharashtra govt is legal, will complete its term: Deputy CM Fadnavis

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said the Eknath Shinde-BJP government was legitimate and will remain in power, remarks viewed as a swipe at the Uddhav Thacekray-led Shiv Sena faction which has been predicting its collapse. He said the government, which came to power in June 2022, was formed as per Constitutional norms and rules. Addressing the state BJP executive in Nashik city in north Maharashtra, Fadnavis said he was confident that the Supreme Court will rule in "our" favour, a reference to the disqualification plea filed by the Shiv Sena (UBT) faction against 16 MLAs of the Eknath Shinde-led group. Without naming the Uddhav Thackeray faction, the senior BJP leader refuted the criticism that the government was illegal and that many members (of Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde) will be disqualified (by the apex court). "This message is being spread so that the remaining 10-15 MLAs (in the Thackeray-led Shiv Sena camp) do

Old vs New: No early retirement for debate on pension as elections loom

The economics and politics behind the old versus new pension scheme as elections loom

Centre approves Pune-Nashik high speed rail connectivity: Fadnavis

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said the Ministry of Railways has accorded "in principle approval" for the Pune-Nashik high-speed rail project. Fadnavis made the announcement after a meeting with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw here. "I thank the Railway minister for granting in-principle approval to the Pune-Nashik high-speed railway project," the Maharashtra deputy chief minister said. He said officials from Maharashtra and the railway ministry will make a technical appraisal of the project and then take the proposal to the Union Cabinet for approval. "Pune and Nashik are important cities of Maharashtra economically and culturally. It would be our endeavour to provide rail connectivity to these two cities," Vaishnaw said. "We had a detailed discussion on the technical aspects of the project and will now take it forward," the Railway minister said. Fadnavis said high-speed rail between Pune and Nashik will boost development and provide seamless ..

Extortion calls made investor drop Rs 6,000 cr Maha plan last yr: Fadnavis

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said a businessman who wanted to invest Rs 6,000 crore in the state shifted his project to Karnataka after receiving threats and extortion calls last year. Fadnavis, who heads the Home Ministry in the Eknath Shinde government which came to power last June, also directed the police to take strict action against those harassing industries. Speaking at an event in Pune on Saturday, the deputy CM appealed to leaders not to bring politics into the industrial sector and warned of strict action against those minting money in the garb of backing labour issues. "I feel bad to say that an investor met me in the afternoon and said he wanted to invest Rs 6,000 crore here (Maharashtra) a year ago, but shifted it to Karnataka after receiving threat and extortion calls," he said. "If this situation prevails, the state's youth will not get jobs. This is why such tendencies (harassment of industries, and business persons) should be crushed. I

Need efforts to restore tarnished reputation of Maharashtra Police: Dy CM

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday underlined the need to restore the "reputation" of state police which he said was "tarnished" by some people in the recent past. Fadnavis, who handles the Home portfolio, was speaking on the sideline of a conference of senior police officers on the Crime and Law and Order held at the centre for police research here. He said a strategy is being prepared to eradicate the drug menace in the state and a drive would be launched. "A conference of senior police officials on crime was organised. The status of crime rate in different units of police, the rate of conviction, strategies, and other aspects of policing were discussed and deliberated during the meeting," he said. Fadnavis said he assured police officers that in the new regime, they will not have to face any "wrongdoing" in terms of transfers and postings. "Recently, we effected transfers and postings, and nobody had to face any (allegations) related to corruption.

India needs to attract investors exiting China, says Maha DyCM Fadnavis

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said India should be ready to attract industries exiting China, as global investors have realised they "cannot put all eggs in one basket". Addressing the valedictory session of the Advantage Maharashtra Expo here, Fadnavis said there was an "exodus" of industries from China, which was the "factory of the world", with about 40 per cent of manufacturing globally done there. Fadnavis also said that the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government has cleared investment proposals worth Rs 90,000 crore in the last six months. ''Global investors have decided to leave China now, and the only country which has the capacity to digest this exodus is India. We need to attract them, as investors have realised they can't put all their eggs in one basket," the deputy chief minister said. This is an opportune time and "we have to be ready," he said. Despite recession, India is growing at 7 to 8 per cent because of the Rs 20 lakh crore ..

Rahul will be invited for Ram Temple darshan in Ayodhya: Devendra Fadnavis

Perhaps, he is not aware that the construction of the Ram temple (in Ayodhya) is going on with full vigour. He, too, will be invited for a darshan (visit) once the temple is complete''