Page 2 - Devendra Fadnavis

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''

Rahul will be invited for 'darshan' at Ram temple in Ayodhya: Fadnavis

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Friday Congress leader Rahul Gandhi would be invited for a 'darshan' at the upcoming Ram temple in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. Fadnavis, a senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, made the comments a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah attacked the Congress MP and announced the shrine would be ready by January 1 next year. Rahul Gandhi will be invited to have a darshan at the Ram temple, he told reporters here, replying to a query on Shah's statement. Fadnavis, who was in the Madhya Pradesh capital for a conference, said the construction of the Ram temple was going on at a brisk pace. Addressing a rally in Tripura, Shah said on Thursday, Rahul baba, listen from Sabroom (in Tripura) that a mammoth Ram Mandir (in Ayodhya) will be ready on January 1, 2024. Assembly polls in the north-eastern state are due by March. Recalling the jibes the Bharatiya Janata Party had received from the Congress during the 2019 general ..

Maha farmers to get 500,000 solar pumps under Kusum Yojana: Dy CM

The Maharashtra government plans to provide solar pumps to five lakh farmers under the Centre's Pradhan Mantri Kusum Yojana, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Thursday. Speaking in the Legislative Council, he said the state government intended to generate income by leasing out land to install such solar pumps. He also said farmers from Vidarbha region will get new agricultural pumps and electricity connections on priority, while pending applications will be cleared by March next year. In order to provide uninterrupted and affordable electricity to consumers, the Union government has announced the implementation of the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), for which a sum of Rs 39,000 crore has been approved for Maharashtra, he said. This will give a major boost to creation of infrastructure in the sector in the state, he added. Under the Kusum Yojana, farmers are being given 90 per cent subsidy for installation of solar power pumps.

Fadnavis to ask Karnataka to stop work at Alamaty till Maha finishes study

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said the state will ask Karnataka to stop the work of the raising of the height of Alamaty dam on the Krishna river till an ongoing study to assess its flood impact in Sangli and Kolhapur is completed. Replying to a question in the state Assembly, Fadnavis said if the Karnataka government did not heed Maharashtra's request, it will approach the Supreme Court. The state government had appointed a panel under the chairmanship of Water Resources Department's former principal secretary Nandkumar Wadnera to study the impact of Karnataka raising the height to 524 metres and its effect on flooding in Kolhapur and Sangli, Fadnavis said. The study panel was set up after the devastating floods of 2019 in the two southern Maharashtra districts. The Wadnera report, submitted on May 27, 2020, said there would be no adverse impact in Kolhapur and Sangli if the height of the dams of Alamaty and Hippargi on the Krishna was ...

NCP's Ajit Pawar accuses govt of fiscal indiscipline, targets Fadnavis

Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Ajit Pawar on Tuesday accused the state government of financial indiscipline after it tabled a more than Rs 52,000 crore supplementary demand last week. He also pointed out that the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party government does not have a single woman minister. You have breached fiscal discipline, Pawar said, noting that when he was finance minister in the previous Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP and Congress government, he had presented a budget of Rs 5,60,000 crore in March 2022. The Eknath Shinde government came to power in June. Devendra Fadnavis, his successor in the finance ministry, presented his first supplementary demand of Rs 25,000 crore in an earlier session and the second demand of record Rs 52,000 crore last week, Pawar pointed out. If a third demand is tabled, the total could go up to Rs 1 lakh crore or around 20 per cent of the original budget tabled in March, he said. You (Fadnavis) keep ...

Ecosystem of paan shops, anti-social elements near schools: Fadnavis

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday flagged a "growing ecosystem" of paan shops, cafeterias and the presence of anti-social elements near schools and said remedial measures are being taken. Fadnavis, who holds the Home portfolio, was responding to a calling attention motion moved by some BJP MLCs in the Legislative Council against the backdrop of the alleged sexual attack on a girl student in a civic-run school in Mumbai. "Secretaries of the department of Home and the Department of Education would meet to chalk out a plan to inspect the growing ecosystem of paan shops, cafeterias and the presence of anti-social elements near schools in the state," Fadnavis stated in a written reply. Among other measures, he reiterated the use of mobile phones is prohibited on the premises of schools and the respective management has been instructed. "A teenage girl student was sexually assaulted in the classroom by two students of class 8 in a civic-run school in Matung

Old pension scheme will put burden of Rs 1.10 trn on exchequer: Fadnavis

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said the government will not revert to the old pension scheme as it would put a burden of Rs 1.10 lakh crore on the exchequer and lead to bankruptcy of the state. Replying to a question in the state Assembly, Fadnavis said the old pension scheme was stopped in 2005. He also lauded the then Congress-Nationalist Congress Party government for taking the decision of stopping the old pension scheme in the interest of the state. Under the old pension scheme, employees get a defined pension. Under this, an employee is entitled for a 50 per cent amount of the last salary drawn as pension. However, the pension amount is contributory under the National Pension System, which is in effect from 2004. The government will not give pensions as per the old scheme. If the old pension scheme is to be implemented, then it will add a burden of Rs 1,10,000 crore and this will lead to bankruptcy of the state. The old pension scheme will no

Youth from Gadchiroli not joining Naxal movement anymore, says Fadnavis

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis on Monday said youth from the Naxalism-affected Gadchiroli district in Vidarbha are not joining the outlawed movement anymore and the new recruits are brought from Odisha and Chhattisgarh. Speaking in the Maharashtra Assembly, Fadnavis, who is also the state home minister, said his stand remains the same as was of former home minister R R Patil, who acted tough against the Left Wing Extremism. Today, the youth of Gadchiroli are not joining the Naxal dalams. They have to bring recruits from Chhattisgarh and Odisha, Fadnavis said. He was replying to queries raised by opposition members over Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Dharamrao Atram getting threats from Naxalites demanding stopping of the Surjagarh mining project in Gadchiroli district. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly and NCP MLA Ajit Pawar demanded that Atram's security be enhanced in view of the threat. NCP leader Dilip Walse Patil said Naxalites have started ...