shinde-interview
Development will continue in big way in Maharashtra: Shinde
MUMBAI, March 6/2003: Notwithstanding financial constraints, Maharashtra will have a bigger plan outlay for 2003-04, Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde has said.
"Let me assure you that the budget this year will be bigger than that of last year", Mr Shinde told UNI last night in an interview at the State Government’s plush Sahyadri guest house at Malabar Hill in South Mumbai.
"Come what may, development activities of the State will continue", the Chief Minister said, a few days before the start of the budget session of the Maharashtra legislature, next Monday.
Having a record of presenting the State budget as Finance Minister nine times, Mr Shinde, who took over as the Chief Minister in January this year, assured that he will pull the State out of its current financial condition within no time.
"It will be one or two years and the State’s financial condition will be back on the track", asserted a confident-looking Mr Shinde, who has accorded priority to infrastructure development in the State, besides giving thrust to the pending irrigation projects and improving power situation in the State.
Dressed in his trade-mark crisp spotless white kurta-pajama, the Chief Minister, who took over reigns of the Congress-led Democratic Front (DF) Government in Maharashtra from Vilasrao Deshmukh, said that he was constantly in touch with leading banks and financial institutions for executing various projects.
Mr Shinde, who had earlier predicted that the State may have to face the worst-ever drought since 1972, said that the State administrative machinery was fully geared up to extend relief to the scarcity-hit areas of the State and for this, he had all ready held a high-level meeting with concerned officials.
With Maharashtra scheduled to go to the polls in September-October next year, Mr Shinde, who has also contested the Vice-Presidential elections as the opposition candidate, admitted that time was "too short" and he had various things to do.
Mr Shinde, Maharashtra’s first-ever Dalit Chief Minister who often describes himself as a "humble servant of the people", said that he had initiated a programme to be in contact with the people of the State to understand their needs.
"I meet around 400 to 500 people everyday", Mr Shinde, who took time out from his busy schedule to speak to this correspondent, said. He added that whenever he was touring the interiors of the State, he tried to address the problems of the people on the spot itself.
"I have told my officers to be frank with the people. If you can do their work, say yes, if you cannot, say no. Be open with the people," he said, adding, that he made it a point to visit the Congress office where-ever he went and also meet people at the various State Government circuit houses.
"In a democracy, one has to be in touch with the people", is the new Chief Minister’s motto. Mr Shinde is also interacting extensively with the Congress ranks and files in the State as a run up to the Assembly and the Lok Sabha elections scheduled next year.
On being asked whether the Shiv Sena’s wooing of the Dalits in the wake of elections next year would have any affect on his party, he described the Sena’s move as a temporary phase. "Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar was against communalism", he summed up.
Talking about the infrastructure development in the State, especially in the commercial capital of the country, the Chief Minister said that he, along with his team of top bureaucrats, had met a group of over 50 young entrepreneurs to share his vision for Mumbai.
"There was a great deal of exchange of views on various schemes like roadways, freeways, waterways along with other issues", he said. "We have to channelise the energy of the youth who will have a major role to play in the future development of Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra", the Chief Minister said.
He said his recent meeting with the chairpersons of various banks and financial institutions had been successful. He also pointed out that resource mobilisation in Maharashtra was the best in the country. Mr Shinde said the Government should give loans at lower rates so that those taken earlier at higher rates could be paid off.
This, he said, would benefit many states which are in a poor financial condition. He also made it a point to mention that Maharashtra was a revenue-earning state. "Andhra has 20 per cent earning and the loan component may be 100 per cent, but Maharashtra has 70 per cent earnings and the loan component is less than even 60 per cent," he added.
The Chief Minister said a meeting of top IAS and IPS officers was held over the week-end under his chairmanship and the meet was to increase coordination, especially in the wake of impending scarcity-like situation.
Mr Shinde said he had also summouned all the Divisional Commissioners, Collectors, CEOs of Zilla Parishads and Revenue officers to ensure coordination. "No where, should there be idleness or slackness in case the scarcity-situation is worse", said Mr Shinde, who is often dubbed a grass roots leader.
For effective law and order management in the districts of the State, he had also convened a meeting of Superintendents of Police and the Collectors — a move which is the first of its kind. "The law and order situation in the State and its management and welfare of policemen were discussed in this meeting," he added.
Asked about the controversial Enron-sponsored Dabhol power project, he said that the matter was with the IDBI and during his official visit of New Delhi after he had taken over as Chief Minister, he has apprised Finance Minister Jaswant Singh about the State of the project.
As far as the energy situation in the State was concerned, he admitted that there was a shortfall, but said that the State was drawing power from other sources to make up the deficit and streamline the load-shedding process in the State. He also revealed that he had requested the Government-owned NTPC to Start a project upto 1,000 mega-watt in the State.
During the interaction, he also highlighted the role of bureaucracy in the development of the State. "Bureaucrats are an important constituent and pillar of development and let me tell you I mean business," said Mr Shinde. (UNI)
MUMBAI, March 6/2003: Notwithstanding financial constraints, Maharashtra will have a bigger plan outlay for 2003-04, Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde has said.
"Let me assure you that the budget this year will be bigger than that of last year", Mr Shinde told UNI last night in an interview at the State Government’s plush Sahyadri guest house at Malabar Hill in South Mumbai.
"Come what may, development activities of the State will continue", the Chief Minister said, a few days before the start of the budget session of the Maharashtra legislature, next Monday.
Having a record of presenting the State budget as Finance Minister nine times, Mr Shinde, who took over as the Chief Minister in January this year, assured that he will pull the State out of its current financial condition within no time.
"It will be one or two years and the State’s financial condition will be back on the track", asserted a confident-looking Mr Shinde, who has accorded priority to infrastructure development in the State, besides giving thrust to the pending irrigation projects and improving power situation in the State.
Dressed in his trade-mark crisp spotless white kurta-pajama, the Chief Minister, who took over reigns of the Congress-led Democratic Front (DF) Government in Maharashtra from Vilasrao Deshmukh, said that he was constantly in touch with leading banks and financial institutions for executing various projects.
Mr Shinde, who had earlier predicted that the State may have to face the worst-ever drought since 1972, said that the State administrative machinery was fully geared up to extend relief to the scarcity-hit areas of the State and for this, he had all ready held a high-level meeting with concerned officials.
With Maharashtra scheduled to go to the polls in September-October next year, Mr Shinde, who has also contested the Vice-Presidential elections as the opposition candidate, admitted that time was "too short" and he had various things to do.
Mr Shinde, Maharashtra’s first-ever Dalit Chief Minister who often describes himself as a "humble servant of the people", said that he had initiated a programme to be in contact with the people of the State to understand their needs.
"I meet around 400 to 500 people everyday", Mr Shinde, who took time out from his busy schedule to speak to this correspondent, said. He added that whenever he was touring the interiors of the State, he tried to address the problems of the people on the spot itself.
"I have told my officers to be frank with the people. If you can do their work, say yes, if you cannot, say no. Be open with the people," he said, adding, that he made it a point to visit the Congress office where-ever he went and also meet people at the various State Government circuit houses.
"In a democracy, one has to be in touch with the people", is the new Chief Minister’s motto. Mr Shinde is also interacting extensively with the Congress ranks and files in the State as a run up to the Assembly and the Lok Sabha elections scheduled next year.
On being asked whether the Shiv Sena’s wooing of the Dalits in the wake of elections next year would have any affect on his party, he described the Sena’s move as a temporary phase. "Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar was against communalism", he summed up.
Talking about the infrastructure development in the State, especially in the commercial capital of the country, the Chief Minister said that he, along with his team of top bureaucrats, had met a group of over 50 young entrepreneurs to share his vision for Mumbai.
"There was a great deal of exchange of views on various schemes like roadways, freeways, waterways along with other issues", he said. "We have to channelise the energy of the youth who will have a major role to play in the future development of Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra", the Chief Minister said.
He said his recent meeting with the chairpersons of various banks and financial institutions had been successful. He also pointed out that resource mobilisation in Maharashtra was the best in the country. Mr Shinde said the Government should give loans at lower rates so that those taken earlier at higher rates could be paid off.
This, he said, would benefit many states which are in a poor financial condition. He also made it a point to mention that Maharashtra was a revenue-earning state. "Andhra has 20 per cent earning and the loan component may be 100 per cent, but Maharashtra has 70 per cent earnings and the loan component is less than even 60 per cent," he added.
The Chief Minister said a meeting of top IAS and IPS officers was held over the week-end under his chairmanship and the meet was to increase coordination, especially in the wake of impending scarcity-like situation.
Mr Shinde said he had also summouned all the Divisional Commissioners, Collectors, CEOs of Zilla Parishads and Revenue officers to ensure coordination. "No where, should there be idleness or slackness in case the scarcity-situation is worse", said Mr Shinde, who is often dubbed a grass roots leader.
For effective law and order management in the districts of the State, he had also convened a meeting of Superintendents of Police and the Collectors — a move which is the first of its kind. "The law and order situation in the State and its management and welfare of policemen were discussed in this meeting," he added.
Asked about the controversial Enron-sponsored Dabhol power project, he said that the matter was with the IDBI and during his official visit of New Delhi after he had taken over as Chief Minister, he has apprised Finance Minister Jaswant Singh about the State of the project.
As far as the energy situation in the State was concerned, he admitted that there was a shortfall, but said that the State was drawing power from other sources to make up the deficit and streamline the load-shedding process in the State. He also revealed that he had requested the Government-owned NTPC to Start a project upto 1,000 mega-watt in the State.
During the interaction, he also highlighted the role of bureaucracy in the development of the State. "Bureaucrats are an important constituent and pillar of development and let me tell you I mean business," said Mr Shinde. (UNI)
Comments