The welfare schemes started by earlier Mahayuti government will be continued with assurances given in the election manifesto, said new Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in his maiden press conference after taking over on Thursday.
“We will work without vengeance and the issues raised by the opposition will be taken seriously. The political culture of Maharashtra, however, has to change for the larger benefit of the common people of the state”, he said and added that the government will continue to work for the people.
LoP: The decision to grant the status of Leader of Opposition to the leader of the largest party in opposition rests with the Speaker. “We are ready to grant the status”, Fadnavis said. The opposition lacks adequate numbers to get the status of the Leader of Opposition.
Social Audit: The welfare schemes will definitely exert economic pressure. The financial audit will be done by the CAG. However, the setup for their social audit is under consideration. With the expected good inflow of Foreign Direct Investment, the financial condition of the state will improve further. He specifically said that the picture of the Marathwada region will soon change with industrial development.
Speaker, Ministers: The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly will be elected during the three-day session from December 7 to 9 in Mumbai. The ministers will be inducted in the alliance government before the regular winter session of the state legislature in Nagpur (Expected date from Dec 16). Fadnavis said that in coalition government finalising ministers takes time. Ministers will be selected based on their performance in the past.
Fadnavis said that the Mahayuti government will continue to work with the same commitment and determination, and with increased pace. He also spoke about developing a road network, the proposal on connecting rivers and improving the law and order situation in the state.
Maratha Reservation: “We will ensure that injustice will not be caused to the Maratha community. The reservation to them was first granted by us and will work to get them by clearing the pending court cases:, he added.
Cast-based Census: We are not against caste-based census. In Bihar it was done with the support of BJP. The census, however, should not be used as a political weapon and cause harm to any particular caste group, Fadnavis said.