Maharashtra Bhavan will be built in Kashmir, says CM Eknath Shinde

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde. Pic/Maharashtra CMO

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has asserted that a Maharashtra Bhavan will be built in Jammu and Kashmir and with the Centre's support, no one will dare to oppose it.

Speaking at a rally in Maharashtra's Amravati district on Wednesday, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde claimed that National Conference leader Omar Abdullah has opposed the construction of the Maharashtra Bhavan in Kashmir.

"The state government has received land in Kashmir for building the Maharashtra Bhavan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are with us. So no one will dare to oppose it," Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde said.

CM Shinde last year requested Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha for a land parcel to construct the Maharashtra Bhavan to provide accommodations and facilities for tourists and officials from the state visiting the Valley.

The Maharashtra cabinet last month approved a proposal to construct the Maharashtra Bhavan, clearing the decks for the first state-run guest house to come up in the Valley since the abrogation of Article 370.

The Union Territory administration's revenue department has identified land measuring 20 kanals (about 2.5 acres) in the Ichgam area of central Kashmir's Budgam district, close to the Srinagar airport, for the guest house, officials earlier said.

The sanction was accorded after the Maharashtra cabinet approved the purchase of 2.5 acres to construct the guest house.

CM Shinde also attacked the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi and said when the Uddhav Thackeray-led government was in power in Maharashtra, many projects were stalled which have now been restarted by the ruling dispensation.

He also said that Union minister Shah did not give any word to Thackeray over power-sharing agreement in the state.

Shah and Shinde were in Amravati to campaign for BJP's Lok Sabha poll candidate Navneet Rana.