Nagpur, Dec 25 (IANS) Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday revealed the Mahayuti government’s roadmap for five years which includes a home for all under the Prime Minister Awas Yojana (PMAY) to be powered by solar energy.

Those who move to these homes will get free electricity as they do not have to pay electricity bills. Besides, the government will implement a 25-year plan for the power sector and will make efforts to lower power tariffs to categories of consumers. "We will conduct transparent governance. Maharashtra will be better off in all sectors," he said during his interaction with reporters here.

"The Central government has allocated an additional 13 lakh houses for Maharashtra this year, totalling over 20 lakh homes in a year under the PMAY according to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Nearly 26 lakh people have registered for the scheme, of whom 20 lakh will be provided houses," announced CM Fadnavis.

The CM said that 80 irrigation projects from Vidarbha have been completed. In addition, the projects that were stalled for years in Western Maharashtra, Konkan Marathwada and North Maharashtra have been put on track. "We have made great strides in the last five years. I got the opportunity as Deputy Chief Minister in the last two and a half years when the government did good work in the energy and home departments. We even prepared a roadmap for the next 25 years in the energy department. In two years, a situation will come where we will reduce the rates of all types of electricity consumers including industry. We have done so much work. We have undertaken six river-linking projects in irrigation. It is going to change Maharashtra," informed CM Fadnavis.

He said that the Maoist-affected Gadchiroli district will emerge as the next steel city in India. "Yesterday, two Naxalites surrendered. We are going to change areas like Gadchiroli. The way investment opportunities are seen in Vidarbha, an industrial ecosystem will also emerge in Vidarbha. All these are challenges. While doing this, we have to implement the schemes that we have started. However, the government is also planning for the resources to be mobilised to ease the financial burden of these schemes," he added.

CM Fadnavis said that after the announcement of the 'Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana' in the budget in July, the government has deposited Rs 7,500 (Rs 1,500 per month) for July to November to the bank accounts of each of the 2.34 crore eligible women beneficiaries. "However, the opposition had criticized that this was just a carrot shown by the government for the elections and that this scheme would not continue after the Assembly elections. After the Mahayuti reported a landslide victory, it reiterated that the Ladki Bahin Yojana and other welfare and development schemes will continue. The government has started depositing money towards the monthly instalment of December in the bank accounts of the eligible women beneficiaries," he added.

"There are many challenges. People do politics at all levels. But if you look at my ten-year tenure, no matter how many challenges I met, I weathered them bravely. I never let power go to my head. I see power as a tool of service. I will never let power go to my head,” said Fadnavis.

"There are some difficulties and limitations while working. But we have to overcome them and do the work that is in the minds of the people, this is an effort. When I was the Chief Minister in 2014, many people had many doubts. Some people thought that as I had never worked as the minister, how would I perform as the Chief Minister? Some thought that I had a new job. How would my performance be in Maharashtra? People in western Maharashtra thought that a person who constantly talks about the issue of Vidarbha would do injustice to western Maharashtra. But during my five years, I worked for Vidarbha. But I did not allow injustice to be done to any part of Maharashtra,” said CM Fadnavis.

Taking serious note of the use of technology to create hatred among castes and also cheat the people, CM Fadnavis said that the central and state governments are creating cyber awareness. "Cyber security work is going on. Digital and cyber platforms have been integrated. We have the best tools in the world. Through that, we can quickly expose cyber crimes,” said CM Fadnavis.

The chief minister said the government will initiate action against those forwarding WhatsApp messages without ascertaining their veracity and substance. The trigger for his statement was the registration of an FIR by the Maharashtra Police’s cyber cell against 12 unidentified social media users for posting a “maliciously edited” video of one of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s speeches about Naxalism.

"I request everyone with folded hands that not only the one who commits the crime is a criminal, but by forwarding such things, we become accomplices. Such false things should not be forwarded. Until awareness is created, this challenge will remain," he remarked

"Cybercrime is a big challenge for all of us. Technology has reached everyone. Some people misuse it. A cyber awareness campaign is being conducted in this regard. We have created the largest cyber platform in the country in Maharashtra. If we wrongly post something on X, WhatsApp, or Facebook, we get its digital footprint. Those who forward false things become accomplices," said CM Fadnavis. He reiterated that people should not forward false things on social media.

CM Fadnavis appealed to the opposition not to defame Nagpur while criticising him on the law and order situation. "I have already directed the Nagpur police to take a serious note of every offence and initiate strong action," he said.

On the allocation of district guardian ministership among the Mahayuti ministers, CM Fadnavis said the state BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule will speak with his counterparts in Shiv Sena and NCP and take a decision. "I am quite keen to become the district guardian minister of Gadchiroli district," he mentioned.

Courtesy Media Group: IANS

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