Connect with us
हिंदी اردو
Sunday,27-April-2025
Breaking News

Maharashtra

From Reviving Mega Projects To Handling Financial And Water Crisis: Tough Decisions Ahead For Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis

Published

5 months ago

on

Maharashtra’s 21st chief minister Devendra Fadnavis (54) is facing several challenges which will put pressure on his administrative skills in the extreme.

For starters he will have to revive two big ticket projects which were booted out by the erstwhile Uddhav Thackeray government. One is the Rs 3 lakh crore oil refinery and petrochemical project which was first to come up  with investment from the Saudi oil major ARAMCO at Nanar and later shifted to Barsu in the Konkan belt. This mega project would have given a major boost to the state’s economy. But the MVA  government  led by Uddhav Thackeray vetoed it on environmental grounds. The other project is the Jaitapur  atomic power project which the French behemoth Areva was keen on implementing at a cost of Rs 1.12 trillion. With a capacity of 9,900 MW it was to be the biggest nuclear power plant in the world. The MVA said “nakko” (No)  to this venture too despite the enormous benefits that would have accrued from it. On the one hand the MVA was complaining about large projects going to Gujarat whereas it was putting the brakes on mega projects in Maharashtra itself.

Fadnavis’ task would be to revive both these projects. The opposition is certain to prod the local villagers into agitation. Here the new CM’s skills at negotiation will have to be used to take the locals on board. 

The state is facing a maha public debt of Rs 7.82 lakh crores of which the state has to repay Rs 2.75 lakh crores in the coming seven years. While the state ranks first in terms of foreign direct investment (FDI) in terms of public debt is second only to Tamil Nadu. Populist schemes like Ladki Bahin, on which there is an outlay of over Rs 40,000 crores,  have majorly added to the financial burden of the state. It has a bloated and inefficient bureaucracy whose salary bill will shoot up to Rs 1.59 lakh crore in the next three months. The pension burden will be Rs 74,011 crores and interest payment is expected to rise to Rs 56,727 cr. Fadnavis will be required to take tough decisions to bring financial discipline.

Though Maharashtra is perceived as a developed state the fact is that only seven of its 36 districts contribute significantly to its GDP. The World Bank, which sanctioned a $ 188.28 million loan to the state early this week, noted that these seven districts contribute to over half the $ 500 billion state’s GDP. 

The other challenge will be to meet the acute water shortage in most parts of the state. Fadnavis had started implementing the revolutionary Jalyukt Shivar Yojana, but it was scrapped by the MVA government. The scheme aimed to provide for rainwater harvesting which was expected to rid 5,000 villages of water scarcity each year. Several questions have been raised regarding the success of this ambitious programme which was expected to drought proof Maharashtra. According to the Centre for Science and Environment, Delhi, the programme has created 24,000 cubic metres of water storage with an irrigation potential of 3.4 million hectares. “That is just enough to provide 487 people with water for an entire year calculated as per the 135 per capita per day norm….” the Centre stated in a report.

Fadnavis needs to prioritise the completion of the Gosikhurd irrigation project in Vidarbha which has an annual irrigation potential of 2,50,800 hectares. It has been a work in progress for the past 40 years and its deadline was extended for the sixth time. It is now expected to be completed in June, 2026. This project can boost farm income substantially for millions of farmers and also put an end to the spate of farm suicides. Over 14,000 farmers have ended their lives and this constitutes 37.6 percent of farmer suicides in the country. The CM is from Vidarbha and hence he has an extra responsibility to ensure the speedy completion of the project.

Over 11,000 state government employees have got their jobs on the basis of fake scheduled tribe certificates. Despite a Supreme Court order the government has not taken criminal action against these employees who have deprived genuine ST candidates of jobs in the government. In fact the government has been treating these criminal employees with kid gloves. If Fadnavis is to provide a clean administration then it should file criminal cases for forgery against all these persons.

In Mumbai, an activist Kalmalakar Shenoy unearthed a Rs 40,000 Cr scam involving several builders and officials of MHADA. Under rule 33 (7) of the Development Control the state government had given additional incentives to builders to redevelop dilapidated buildings in Mumbai. They were to surrender a portion of the flats in the reconstructed buildings to MHADA. But hardly any of them did that and MHADA did precious little to recover the flats from them. Shenoy moved the Bombay high court which ruled in his favour. Shockingly the state government has gone in appeal against this judgement of the Bombay high court even though it is in favour of MHADA. Fadnavis should immediately withdraw the appeal, initiate criminal proceedings against the builders and MHADA officials concerned and recover the  Rs 40,000 crores pocketed by them. This is the least he can do to restore public confidence in the government.

Post Views: 45,688
Related Tags:

Maharashtra

Pahalgam Terror Attack Interrogated from Eyewitnesses of Dombivali

Published

15 hours ago

on

April 26, 2025

By

Mumbai: The NIA, IB have also started interrogating the tourists from Maharashtra who witnessed the Pahalgam Terror Attack. A team has reached Dombivali to interrogate these tourists. The family of Atul Mane, Hemant Joshi, and Sanjay Lele from Dombivali had gone to Kashmir for tourism. In Pahalgam, the terrorists opened fire after asking who was a Hindu. During this, Atul Mane, Hemant Joshi, and Sanjay Lele died and this family has seen these terrorists very closely and is also an eyewitness to this matter.

Therefore, the investigation agencies have entered Dombivali, adjacent to Mumbai, to interrogate them. All the teams first appeared at the Dombivali police station and then left for the family’s house. The police have also intensified their operation against the terrorists and a reward of Rs 20 lakh has been placed on the terrorists. In addition, their identity has been established and a sketch has also been released. NIA sources said that these eyewitness statements can also be recorded to make progress in the case of the terrorist attack and the investigating agencies are also hopeful of getting more clues. After the painful incident, the NIA and the investigating agencies have now started collecting details from tourists from Maharashtra and tracing them.

Post Views: 38,129
Continue Reading

Maharashtra

Pahalgam terror attack: Visas of Pakistanis in the state cancelled, 55 Pakistani citizens in Maharashtra, CM Devendra Fadnavis directs action, police alert

Published

19 hours ago

on

April 26, 2025

By

Mumbai: After the terrorist attack on Mumbai Pahalgam tourists, the process of collecting records of Pakistani citizens has now started in Maharashtra, along with which an order has been issued to leave India for Pakistani citizens. Regarding this, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that orders have been issued regarding Pakistani citizens, in addition, an investigation of Pakistani citizens has also been started. If any Pakistani citizen is residing in India or Maharashtra illegally, action will be taken against him. He said that after the Pahalgam attack, Pakistanis have been ordered to leave the country, in addition, their visas have also been cancelled, along with this, cancellation of medical visas is also being considered. He said that after the order of the Ministry of Home Affairs, this will also be followed in Maharashtra.

Devendra Fadnavis said that the government has decided to cancel visas of Pakistani citizens. No citizen with a Pakistani visa should stay in India for more than 48 hours. Action will be taken against those Pakistanis who are staying illegally. Discussions have been held with the Home Ministry regarding this. They will strictly follow it. We have no sympathy for Pakistani actors or other artists. He said that when the enemy treats us like this, all the parties of the country unite. Atal Bihari Vajpayee had supported the then government in the Bangladesh issue. We are united. Fadnavis has said that Modi ji has announced to crush the terrorists. I am sure that Modi ji does what he says. He has kept his promise even before this. After the Pahalgam attack, Maharashtra Police is also on alert. Along with this, the police have started action in other cities including Mumbai. Devendra Fadnavis has also now given a 48-hour ultimatum to Pakistanis living in Maharashtra and the work of expelling all Pakistanis from the country has been started.

There are 55 Pakistani citizens living in Maharashtra, they are residing in different districts of the state. A senior official of the Home Department said that out of them, 19 are Pakistanis, 18 in Thane city, 12 in Nagpur, three in Jalgaon, one in Pune city, one in Navi Mumbai, Mumbai and Raigad. The state Home Department is very strict regarding Pakistanis and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has also issued strict orders on this.

Post Views: 43,161
Continue Reading

Maharashtra

Fraud under the guise of Mumbai loan, Delhi call center exposed, fraud in the name of Bajaj Finance, three accused arrested, use of 105 mobile phones in fraud.

Published

2 days ago

on

April 25, 2025

By

Mumbai: The Cyber ​​Cell of the Mumbai Crime Branch has exposed a gang that is fooling people by luring them with interest-free loans. The complainant, a 70-year-old senior citizen, filed a complaint at the Cyber ​​Police Station, West Mumbai, after which the police took action and traced these fraudsters and also busted a call center in Delhi from where people were being fooled. The complainant was cheated from August 28, 2023 to November 2, 2024. The complainant was told that he could get a loan from Bajaj Finance Delhi at zero interest. Under the guise of this, the complainant received Rs 1.14 crore from banks in the name of fees for various matters. After that, the Crime Branch conducted an investigation and conducted a raid at Maximum Marketing Private Limited, Anand Vihar in Delhi and busted this call center. In this, the police arrested Shahzad Lal Khan alias Rehman, 30, Anuj Uttam Singh Raut alias Anil Kumar Yadav. 30-year-old and Aamir Hussain, 34, were arrested. 105 mobile phones and a laptop were recovered from their possession.

The investigation concluded that this mobile number has been used in cyber crimes across the country and this number has been used in 132 crimes. This operation was carried out by the Mumbai Crime Branch and Cyber ​​Cell. This operation was carried out on the instructions of Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Pansalkar, Special Commissioner Devin Bharti, Joint Police Commissioner Crime Lakshmi Gautam. DCP Crime Detection Datta Nalawade said that Mumbai Police has appealed to the citizens to remain alert against cyber fraud and not to invest in the lure of profit in the name of high investment. Do not fall for the trap of providing loans without documents on social media. Do not make any kind of investment on the advice of acquaintances and do not download any kind of mobile app. If anyone is a victim of fraud, immediately contact 1930.

Post Views: 35,458
Continue Reading

Trending