People’s thoughts, development, and faith are the trinity of our progress – Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

The state’s economy is strong, leading in foreign investment in the country; The age limit of Chief Minister Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana is now 65 years.

Mumbai : Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said today that the thoughts, development, and faith of the people of the state are the trinity behind the success of our government. While replying to the discussion on the Governor’s address, Chief Minister Shinde spoke in the Legislative Assembly. He also announced that the age limit for the Chief Minister Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana has been increased to 65 years, and the land ownership requirement has been removed from the eligibility conditions for the same.

In his reply speech, Chief Minister Shinde provided information about agriculture and farmers, women, industry, irrigation, and the state’s strong economy. He stated that the government, which is in the minds of the people, has completed two years. Creating happiness in the lives of the common man was and remains the passion of our government. It was envisioned that the state should excel in economic, industrial, and educational sectors. There was a struggle to ensure that government schemes reached the last element of society. The aim was to see satisfaction and happiness on the faces of farmers, women, and youth. In these efforts, we have not fallen short in the last two years. We have worked around the clock for development. We are happy and proud to have earned the trust of the public. He reiterated that thoughts, development, and faith are the trinity of our success.

Chief Minister Shinde said that during our tenure, nine sessions were held. There were 75 cabinets, and we made more than 550 decisions, which is a record. We did not stay at home but went to the people’s doors and implemented the ‘Sasan Apya Dari’ initiative. The finance minister presented a historic and revolutionary budget. This included plans that would change the lives of women, farmers, youth, and senior citizens. The Chief Minister also promptly made decisions regarding the Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana. The state government will provide Rs 1,500 per month, i.e., Rs 18,000 per year, to eligible women under this scheme. Rs 46,000 crores have been allocated for this purpose. The Chief Minister Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana is a boon for mothers and sisters. The age limit for this scheme has been increased from 60 to 65 years. It has been decided to utilize the existing database of BPL to ensure quick and orderly implementation, eliminating the need for queuing up for registration. If a sister was enrolled in August, she will also receive the money for July. The Chief Minister stated that a household with a happy Lakshmi (goddess of wealth) is sure to prosper.

We have implemented the Lake Ladki Yojana since the birth of a girl child. Now we have addressed the concerns regarding girls’ education. We have eased the burden on housewives through the Ladaki Bahine and Chief Minister Annapurna Yojana. This government has decided to make higher education free for girls. We have waived 100% tuition fees for girls from families with an income of less than Rs 8 lakhs. We have decided to provide a subsidy of Rs 25,000 for girl students’ vocational education. We are making their journey easier by providing various services, including health facilities for pilgrims. Wari is a symbol of our cultural glory. Chief Minister Shinde also mentioned that the youth work training scheme has been introduced for the youth of the state.

Standing firmly behind the farmers…

The state government has made significant decisions for the farmers. The Chief Minister informed that 1 crore 77 lakh 88 thousand farmers have benefited from Rs 11,392 crores in the last two years through agricultural mechanization, horticulture, irrigation, schemes for SC-ST farmers, and crop insurance.

He noted that the number of benefiting farmers has increased by 95 percent, and the benefits or subsidies given to farmers have increased by about 61 percent compared to the previous government. Rs 15,245 crores and 76 lakhs have been allocated since June 2022 due to heavy rains, hailstorms, unseasonal rains, and pests. 123 irrigation projects in the state have been approved, which will irrigate 17 lakh hectares of land. Additionally, more than Rs 44,000 crores are being provided for agriculture from various departments like agriculture, animal husbandry, cooperation, marketing, food, and civil supplies.

Rs 5,318 crores and 47 lakhs have been given to 92 lakh 43 thousand farmers under the Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Nidhi Yojana. In the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, Rs 29,640 crores have been directly deposited into bank accounts in sixteen installments, benefiting 85.66 lakh farmers in the state. We aim to increase the productivity of cotton, soybeans, and other oilseeds. Chief Minister Shinde also highlighted that the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Farmers Debt Relief Scheme has provided Rs 5,190 crores to 14 lakh 33 thousand farmers as an incentive. Banks have been strictly instructed not to deprive farmers of credit using CIBIL scores while sanctioning crop loans. Instructions have been given to file FIRs against banks that fail to comply. The Chief Minister plans to connect 30 percent of agricultural pumps with solar energy through the solar agriculture channel. The Chief Minister also mentioned that Magel will provide solar agricultural pumps and daytime electricity.

For a drought-free Maharashtra: Speeding up river linking projects

The state government has accelerated several important irrigation projects for a drought-free Maharashtra. These include the Damanganga-Pinjal (Rs 508 crores), Konkan to Godavari basin (Rs 6,665 crores), Konkan to Tapi basin (Rs 6,277 crores), Vainganga-Nalganga (Rs 88,575 crores), and Tapi Mahakaya Recharge (Rs 19,243 crores) projects. The Wainganga-Nalganga interlinking project will provide irrigation benefits to an area of 3 lakh 71 thousand 277 hectares in Nagpur, Wardha, Amravati, Yavatmal, Akola, and Buldhana districts. 11 water resources projects have been approved in Marathwada, with a revised incremental expenditure of Rs 13,677 crores. The waters of the western channel rivers going into the sea will be diverted into the Godavari basin. To increase irrigation in Konkan, water going to the sea will be blocked by dams, addressing the irrigation backlog there. The second phase of Jalyukta Shivar has started in 5,548 villages of the state. In the last two years, 123 projects have been sanctioned, and work on all these projects is progressing rapidly. This will bring 17 lakh hectares of land under irrigation. In the last year, 42.11 lakh hectares have been directly irrigated in the state. About 3.8 TMC of water storage has been created during these two years. Irrigation capacity will be created on 68,878 hectares of 182 drought-prone villages through the Nilwande Irrigation Project, which is a boon for the drought-prone areas and has been stalled for 50 years. Marathwada water grid works worth Rs 29,000 crores have been approved in principle. The central team has inspected it. He also informed that 1,250 villages in all eight districts of Marathwada have been included in the Jal Jeevan Mission.

Maharashtra tops in foreign investment

Chief Minister Shinde said that due to the collective incentive scheme, 243 large, ultra-large, and high technology-based industries are investing Rs 2 lakh 8 thousand crores, creating 2 lakh jobs. Rs 1 lakh 18 thousand 422 crores in the first year and Rs 1 lakh 25 thousand crores in the second year have been invested in the state during the government’s tenure. Today, Maharashtra is number one in foreign investment in the country. He informed that 30 percent of the foreign investment in the country has been made in Maharashtra.

We are giving maximum encouragement to industries like semiconductor, LCD, LED, solar cell, battery, hydrogen fuel cell, pharma, and chemicals to make the state a 1 trillion dollar economy. The state government has decided to give special incentives to such industries with an investment of at least Rs 10 thousand crores and providing 4 thousand jobs as pioneer industries. Therefore, Rs 1 lakh crore investment and 50 thousand jobs will be created in the coming time. The state government signed a memorandum of understanding worth five lakh crore dollars in two years at Davos, which is also a record. This will create 2 lakh jobs. 80 percent of the contracts signed in the first year have started construction and allotment of plots. Rs 1 lakh 71 thousand 688 crores were exported from Mumbai in 2022-23 in gems and jewelry. This proportion of exports is 97.15 percent of the total exports of the country, and Surat’s proportion is 2.58 percent. He said that Mumbai is ahead in this sector. We are setting up a Gems and Jewelry Park on 21 acres of land at Mahape through MIDC. The Chief Minister also said that an investment of Rs 50 thousand crores and 1 lakh jobs will be created here.

You announced the Rickshaw Taxi Corporation. The Chief Minister also said on this occasion that he will establish a newspaper vendor welfare board on the same lines.

The quality of the school uniform is excellent

Two free uniforms are being provided to all students of classes 1 to 8 in government and local government schools under the Samagra Shiksha program and the state scheme. To ensure the quality and color of this uniform are the same, the one-state one-uniform scheme has been started in the state from the current academic year. According to the procurement policy of the government, textile supply has begun by implementing the tender process.

He said that one of the two uniforms will be stitched through the Women’s Economic Development Corporation. The cloth for the uniform of Scouts and Guides is being given to the School Management Committee. The school education department had conducted a tender process for procurement of uniform cloth. All students will receive uniforms by August. He also said that the students will be proud to wear these uniforms, which will be of good quality and well-stitched.

The economy of the state is strong

Maharashtra’s share in the total income of the country is 14 percent. Maharashtra ranks first in foreign investment in the country. The state ranks number one in industry and service sectors. Maharashtra is also a favorite of foreign tourists. The gross income of the state is Rs 40 lakh 50 thousand crores. The per capita income of Maharashtra is Rs 2 lakh 77 thousand 630. The per capita income of the state was ranked sixth from 2017-18 to 2022-23. He also informed that as the population of the other five states is less, their per capita income is higher.

A concrete step to resolve the border issue

A team of experienced lawyers has been appointed to represent the state on the Maharashtra-Karnataka border issue in the Supreme Court. Entire Maharashtra stands firmly behind the border residents. On the initiative of the Union Home Minister, a joint meeting of the then Chief Ministers of Maharashtra and Karnataka has been held. He is going to request the Ministry of Home Affairs to organize a joint meeting of the selected ministers of both states at the earliest. The pension of Rs 10,000 given to the martyrs of the border movement has been increased to Rs 20,000. Mahatma Phule Jan Arogya Yojana has been implemented for 865 villages in border areas. Acknowledgment letters are given to journalists from border areas. Chief Minister Shinde informed that the government is helping the educational institutions in the border areas through the charity fund.

Insisting that Marathi language gets the status of classical language

The central government is continuously pursuing the status of the Marathi language as a classical language. A letter has also been sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard. The Marathi Language Minister and the Marathi Language Secretary sent a letter to the Center’s Ministry of Culture last year requesting this. The committee of our state has conducted historical research and referred to old references, ancient texts, ancient copperplates, engravings, and inscriptions. Ancient documents are being examined. A comprehensive and complete report with evidence was submitted to the government. A committee was also appointed on February 14, 2024, under the chairmanship of retired senior Indian Foreign Service officer Dnyaneshwar Mule. Follow-up is ongoing through them. The Center has made some revised criteria, and we have sought information about them. He expressed his belief that the Marathi language will receive elite status during this state government. He informed that a Marathi language building is being built in Mumbai, and a Marathi language sub-center is being built at Airoli. A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed with the British Museum to bring Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s tiger paws to Maharashtra, and the process is underway. The Chief Minister also said that we will see these tiger paws soon.

Chief Minister Shinde said that our goal is the development of farmers, laborers, workers, women-sisters, and youth. Just participating in Wari at Alandi and Dehu and asking Panduranga to remove the calamity on Baliraja and bring good days in Baliraja’s life. May the days of happiness and contentment come. He said that he prayed that the people of the state also get happiness and satisfaction.