Maharashtra government: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis held his first press conference hours after taking oath in Mumbai on Thursday. The newly-appointed chief minister said, “In the last 2.5 years, we have worked for the development of Maharashtra and from here too we will work for the development of Maharashtra and we will not stop now, the direction and speed is the same, only our roles have changed… We will take decisions for the betterment of Maharashtra. We want to complete the works that we mentioned in our manifestoes.”
Special session of assembly on December 7-8: Fadnavis
“People want a stable government, so they have chosen us and we will stay and work together. We will continue the ‘Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana’. We will soon elect the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker as the Cabinet has decided to hold a special session on December 7-8. Governor will address on December 9.”
Portfolio distribution is almost done
“I don’t believe that there is any such delay (in forming the government). Even before this, in 2004, there was a delay of about 12-13 days. In 2009, there was a delay of about 9 days. We will have to understand that when there is a coalition government, many decisions have to be taken. In a coalition government, consultation has to be done on a very large scale. We have done that consultation and we have almost finalised the portfolio as well, there is some left, we will do that as well,” said the Maharashtra CM.
Fadnavis said his deputies – Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar are with him and they will work together. Replying on a question related to reports about Shinde being disgruntled over the Home Ministry, he was not upset, it was reported only in the news. He also announced that the government would continue the ban on cow slaughter in Maharashtra.
Speaking on the MVA leaders in Opposition, the chief minister said he had called NCP (SCP) chief Sharad Pawar, Shive Sena (Thackeray) chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS’s Raj Thackeray and invited them to attend the swearing-in ceremony. Everyone congratulated me, but due to some reasons they could not come. There should be a place for dialogue in politics, he asserted.
In his first decision, CM Fadnavis approves aid for patients
Signing his first file after taking charge of office, Fadnavis approved a proposal to provide financial assistance of Rs five lakh for a patient awaiting bone marrow transplant. Pune-based Chandrakant Kurhade’s wife had sought help from the Chief Minister’s relief fund for her husband’s treatment. The chief minister put his signature on the file before he chaired the first cabinet meeting. Fadnavis and deputy chief ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar took oath of office and secrecy at a ceremony at Azad Maidan earlier in the evening.
