‘Opposition has lost connect with people’
| Date :04-Aug-2019 |
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis addressing mediapersons on Saturday. Guardian minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, City President Pravin Datke, MLAs Sudhakar Deshmukh, Sameer Meghe, Dr Milind Mane, Vikas Kumbhare look on. (Pic by Anil Futane)
Staff Reporter:
Maharashtra Government will protect reservation of OBCs, assures Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis
DEBUNKING the false propaganda run by the opposition about Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis advised Congress-NCP leaders to introspect why they lost people’s trust. “The opposition has lost connect with people after losing the Lok Sabha elections,” he said while addressing a press conference at Press Club on Saturday, a day after his state-wide ‘Mahajanadesh Yatra’ received a grand welcome at Nagpur. Stating that he had never seen such frustrated, depressed and demoralised opposition parties in the history of Maharashtra, the Chief Minister rued that such a situation was not good for democracy.
Reading out a list of development works carried out in the State by BJP-Shiv Sena Government in last five years, Fadnavis said, “A total of 1.50 lakh agricultural power connections were allotted in last five years. The demand was pending since 2009.” With the help of Centre, the State Government has completed land acquisition for 89 irrigation projects under Baliraja Jal Sanjivani Yojana for Vidarbha, Fadnavis informed the mediapersons. He added that these projects would be completed in the next two years after which Vidarbha farmers would get ample water for irrigation. Fadnavis also told reporters about infrastructure works done in the villages under Mukhya Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.
“Our Government has given 80 per cent subsidy for drip irrigation in Vidarbha and Marathawada,” he said. When asked about OBC reservations in Zilla Parishad, the Chief Minister replied that as per the provisions of Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Act, 1961, offices of the Sarpanch, Chairperson of the Panchayat Samiti and President of the Zilla Parishad are reserved for SCs and STs based on the proportion of their population. There is a flat 27 per cent reservation for the OBCs. The Government recently issued an ordinance on the OBC quota in local bodies in the wake of a petition filed in the Bombay High Court objecting to violation of 50 per cent quota ceiling in these bodies. “In 20 Zilla Parishads, the number of seats for OBCs were reduced due to 50 per cent quota limit. By introducing the ordinance, the Government has restored those affected seats.
The reservation will not come down till this Government is in power,” assured the Chief Minister adding that the Government would take all measures to protect reservation of OBCs. Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, City President Pravin Datke, MLAs Sudhakar Deshmukh, Sudhakar Kohale, Vikas Kumbhare, Dr Milind Mane, Samir Meghe, Mallikarjuna Reddy, former MP Ajay Sancheti, MLC Girish Vyas, Nisha Sawarkar and others were present at the press conference.
Job opportunity to get a boost, more Cos to come to Vidarbha in next two years: Chief Minister WHEN asked about engineers not getting jobs in Vidarbha, the Chief Minister replied that the Government had succeeded in attracting investment in the region. “Many companies are coming to Vidarbha in next two years. That will create job opportunities in Nagpur and other cities of Vidarbha,” he said. On the issue of migration of young talent to Pune, Bengaluru and other cities, the Chief Minister said that they were migrating for better opportunity and salaries.