Maharashtra
From Reviving Mega Projects To Handling Financial And Water Crisis: Tough Decisions Ahead For Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis
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.
Maharashtra
Abu Asim Azmi praised for introducing a bill against hate speeches and hate crimes, Muslim organizations called Abu Asim Azmi’s step commendable.

Mumbai: Leading Mumbai NGOs like OZ Seva Trust, Minara Masjid Trust, All India Ulema Board, Malik Liaquat Hussain Trust, National Uni-Ayush Activist Trust, Mumbai Central Association etc. today felicitated SP State President Abu Asim Azmi at Islam Gymkhana and appreciated his efforts to maintain unity and brotherhood in the society by respecting all religions in the Maharashtra Assembly. Azmi had introduced a bill in the Nagpur Assembly to enforce strict laws against religious hatred, blasphemy, prophets, religious leaders, and religious places, and hate speeches and hate crimes.
The event was organised at Islam Gymkhana, Mumbai. Addressing the event, Abu Asim Azmi said that nowadays hatred is being spread among the brothers by making objectionable or insulting inflammatory speeches against any religion, religious leader, religious book, religious place, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). This poses a threat to peace and order. Therefore, we have presented this bill in the Legislative Assembly against those who insult any religion, religious leader, religious book, religious place, or Prophet. This bill proposes a penalty of imprisonment for up to 10 years and a fine of up to Rs 2 lakh for those who make slanderous statements about any religion, religious leader, religious book, or religious place or spread it on social media. Such a punishment will curb hate speech and hate crimes. MLA Raees Shaikh, State Working President Yousuf Abrani, Chief General Secretary Meeraj Siddiqui and Advocate Rizwan Merchant, Maulana Ijaz Kashmiri, Nizamuddin Rain, Naseem Siddiqui, Sarfaraz Arjo were present at the event.
Maharashtra
A split in Maha Vikas Aghadi before BMC elections, Congress’s slogan is ‘akela Chalo’

The trumpet of the municipal elections has sounded in the state. Voting for 29 municipal corporations will be held on January 15, while the counting of votes will be held on January 16 and the results will be announced. In this election, everyone’s attention will be focused on the Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections. The Shiv Sena Thackeray group will try to retain power in the Municipal Corporation. While Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and BJP will try to rule the BMC in Mumbai. Negotiations on seat sharing are ongoing in Mahayoti, but the electoral understanding has not been completed yet. However, a major rift has arisen in the Maha Vikas Aghadi before the Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections. The Congress has announced to fight the Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections on its own. Due to which the competition in this election has intensified further.
Congress will fight the elections alone
Congress has announced to fight the Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections on its own. Congress’ Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chinnathala is currently on a visit to Maharashtra. After a meeting held in Mumbai today, Ramesh Chinnathala has said that he will fight the upcoming elections on his own. He said that there is a lot of corruption in Mumbai. That is why the Congress has decided to fight the elections alone. We have decided to fight against the BJP and the Shiv Sena Thackeray group. True patriots and secular people should support us in this fight. After coming to power, we will resolve the issues of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation in a good way. Therefore, I appeal to the voters to support us and we will develop Mumbai.
Mumbai Municipal Corporation Elections
The State Election Commission had announced the Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections in a press conference on December 15. According to this announcement, candidates will be able to file their applications from December 23 to December 30, 2025. The Election Commission will scrutinize the applications on December 31. Candidates can withdraw their applications till January 2, 2026. Voting for the Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections will be held on January 5. The voting will be held on January 16, 2026 and the results will be declared on the same day.
Maharashtra
After Babri, it’s Kashi Mathura’s turn. Baba Bageshwar Dham’s provocation in Mumbai.

Mumbai: After the Babri Masjid, now it is Kashi Mathura’s turn, the slogan and provocation has been given by Dhirendra Shastri Bageshwar Dham Baba here in Mumbai. While answering the question of journalists in Andheri, Bageshwar Dham said that the temple is ours and we cannot give it up. When Baba was asked that the dispute had ended after the Babri Masjid, then why is the process of finding temples in mosques going on, to which he said that there are temples in many places and the dispute here is old. On Hindu Rashtra, Bageshwar Dham made it clear that there is also room for Muslims in Hindu Rashtra, his aim is to strengthen Sanatan, while a pilgrimage for Hindu Rashtra will start in Maharashtra to promote Hindutva. He said that it is wrong to declare India a secular country because India has never been secular. He said that there is a need for brotherhood and unity in this country and for that he goes on pilgrimage. Baba, while spewing venom, said that if efforts are not made for Hindu Rashtra and Hindus are not united, then the time is not far when the invasion of India will take place. He said that highly educated doctors in the country are becoming terrorists. If there is a Hindu Rashtra, then a Muslim youth will become Abdul Kalam. Will the mayor of Mumbai be a Muslim or a Hindu? On this, Bageshwar Dham said that he is away from politics, so a candidate should be selected who is useful for the people.
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