Ruling trio of Shinde, Fadnavis, Pawar make ‘presentation’ to voters, flaunting their ‘report card’
(Frome left) DyCM Devendra Fadnavis, CM Eknath Shinde and DyCM Ajit Pawar during the release of report card in Mumbai. Pic/Shadab Khan
Along with DyCMs Devendra Fadnavis (BJP) and Ajit Pawar (NCP), CM Shinde released a report card featuring a brief comparative analysis of the Mahayuti and MVA’s performance in terms of economic growth, urban and rural infrastructure development, foreign direct and local investment, welfare schemes for farmers, women, and various social sectors, public health, employment, government services, and more.
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“One needs guts to present a report card. We presented our report card because we have done work that changed lives. We have made the state number one again. In their (MVA) times, the state was pushed down in the ranking,” said Shinde, blaming the Thackeray government for stalling projects. “Metro-3 could begin because we came to power. If they were in power, the project could have taken another 10 years. It was because of their ego that the project cost escalated by R17,000 cr. We could have given more money to our sisters if the money was saved,” Shinde said.
(Frome left) Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis, CM Eknath Shinde and DyCM Ajit Pawar during the release of report card in Mumbai. Pic/Shadab Khan
According to Shinde, Fadnavis and Pawar, the Opposition had lost its bearing because of imminent defeat in the November 20 elections. The joint press conference that was held a day after the model code came into force, kicked off Mahayuti’s poll campaign.
Fadnavis said the energy department’s initiative of providing uninterrupted solar-generated power to the farmers during the daytime would save the state R10,000 cr in power purchase costs and another Rs 5,000 cr in subsidy. He said the power bill for farmers was also waived because of the savings made. He counted the water resources department’s river grid project as a measure to mitigate water scarcity in Marathwada. “Nothing is on paper. The projects are in a tendering process,” he said, adding that the government had covered as many communities in terms of economic development corporations.
Pawar dismissed the Opposition’s allegation that the state coffers were being emptied for implementing populist schemes. “They can’t digest the success of Ladki Bahin Yojna. We have made budgetary provisions for the scheme. It will be a permanent scheme,” he said, recalling how the Congress had not fulfilled the assurance of power bill waiver in the 2004 elections that were fought when Sushilkumar Shinde was the CM.
Fadnavis wondered why the Opposition had promised to increase the amount of cash transfers and other schemes. “What wills they do with their promise? They should first decide whether the state has the money or not,” he said. The home minister questioned the Opposition for a law and order situation when the MVA was in power. “The people whose home minister was in jail are now telling us about law and order. It was these people under whom the police planted bombs near the industrialists’ house and killed a person who knew about it,” he said.
Talk about rate card: Patole
Reacting to Mahayuti’s report card, state Congress president Nata Patole said the CM should talk about a ‘rate card’. Patole accused the government of plundering the state at the behest of (Narendra) Modi and (Amit) Shah, turning the state into nothing more than an ATM for the duo. “Large projects that were intended for Maharashtra were diverted to Gujarat, while Shinde, Fadnavis, and Ajit Pawar remained silent. The Shinde government’s claims are all made up. Maharashtra, which was number one in the Congress regime, is trailing behind other states in terms of development in the past two years,” Patole said.
“Only ‘beloved industrialists and contractors’ have benefited under the BJP-alliance government, while farmers and the common people have suffered immensely. Maharashtra’s self-respecting citizens will not allow the treacherous, anti-Maharashtra, mahabrashtrayuti to return to power,” added Patole. “Important land parcels in Mumbai have been handed over to their beloved industrialists, and tenders after tenders have been issued to benefit contractors, all while the government reaped profits quietly for the past two years,” he said.
Will scrap land for Adani: Aaditya Thackeray
Yuva Sena president Aaditya Thackeray told a press conference that it was time for a ‘deport card’ for the Shinde government. The decisions that were taken for the friends of the government, will be scrapped when MVA comes to power, he said, adding, “The cabinet meetings held over the last two-three months were taken only for Adani. We should understand what is hidden behind the decisions and schemes that supposedly were taken for the welfare of the people. In all 1080 acres of Mumbai land has been given free of cost to Adani Group in the name of Dharavi redevelopment. The construction of almost 7,00,000 sq ft outside of Dharavi, will earn almost Rs 1,00,000 crore for Adani, but no revenue for Mumbai,” he said.
According to Thackeray, 1.5 lakh families in Dharavi will be ineligible and forced to buy homes in Mulund, Kurla, Deonar, Madh, Kanjurmarg, and Bhandup. “Who is it being developed for? Only because Eknath Shinde and BJP cannot win Mumbai, their best way is to hand over Mumbai free of cost to their owner. Maharashtra has to realise how Mumbai is being handed over to Adani, only because they can’t directly break it away from Maharashtra, or win politically. We will scrap the add-on incentives/ benefits that go above and beyond the tender, including the incentives in the tender like TDR and premium waivers for Adani. We will scrap the proposed PAPs and PTCs across Mumbai, that is the looting of land, in the name of redevelopment,” he said, adding that the Ladki Bahin and toll waiver could have been given much earlier, not ahead of the polls.
BJP ally breaks away
Mahadev Jankar, the chief of Rashtriya Samaj Paksha and a leader of the Dhangar community, announced on Wednesday that he has broken ties with the BJP. Jankar, who was a cabinet minister in the Devendra Fadnavis government, became an MLC after losing to Supriya Sule in the Baramati Lok Sabha election in 2014. He was given prominence in the NDA due to his influence within the Dhangar community. Earlier this year, he lost again, this time from the Parbhani Lok Sabha constituency. Jankar stated that his party plans to contest as many of the 288 Assembly seats as possible. His departure is significant amid the Dhangar community's ongoing protests for a quota in the Scheduled Tribes category.
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