File photo of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said he will transform the state into a "super industrial state" within next few years, while reiterating government's focus to improve lives of distressed farmers.
"The country is moving ahead on the path of development and Maharashtra will play an important role in the process. In the last few years, climatic conditions that have prevailed in the state have caused distress among farmers. But I wish to tell every farmer that we stand strongly with them in their time of adversity," he said.
The Chief Minister was speaking after unfurling the tricolour at the Mantralaya in Mumbai on the occasion of 69th Independence Day.
Mr Fadnavis said the state government's flagship water conservation and Integrated water management scheme (Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan) has already benefited around 6,000 villages in Maharashtra and assured that the scheme will cover 20,000 villages within the next five years.
"Farmers want electricity. I assure that every farmer will have electricity by 2016," he said.
Mr Fadnavis said the government is providing rice at Rs 3 (per kg) and wheat for Rs 2 to around 60 lakh farmers in eight and six districts of drought-hit Marathwada and Vidarbha region, respectively.
Listing out his government's achievements, Mr Fadnavis said he has tried to bring transparency in the system through Right to Services Act and 'Aaple Sarkar' (state government's website and app to address public grievances while ensuring participative governance).
Mr Fadnavis said he has been able to attract Rs 60,000 crore of investments in his term as the chief minister.
"This investment will ensure that around 1 lakh youth will get employment. But, we will not stop here. We will continue to attract more and more companies until there is an industrial revolution.
"Through skill development, we will ensure that the youth get work opportunities. We will convert the state into a super industrial state within next few years," Mr Fadnavis said.
He added 10 cities in Maharashtra will be developed into 'Smart Cities' as per global standards, which will offer the most modern facilities.
Equating the condition of law and order with the prevailing conviction rate, Mr Fadnavis said since 2008, the conviction rate has gone up from around 9 per cent to 32 per cent in 2015.
"When criminals are afraid of being convicted for their crimes, they will not indulge in criminal activities," Mr Fadnavis said.
He further said by 2016, Mumbai will come under the surveillance of 6000 CCTV cameras and that the southern region of the island city will get the facility by the end of 2015.
The 800-km long Mumbai-Nagpur Super Expressway will reduce the travel time between the two cities to nearly 10 hours and will help increase the trade and commerce within the state, he said.
The announcement of building the expressway was made by the CM during the Monsoon session of the state Legislature.
Mr Fadnavis added as a mark of respect to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar on his 125th birth anniversary this year, the state government will provide education to 25,000 students from SC/ST and backward classes in reputed institutions.
He added that around 16,000 such students have already been admitted to various institutes.
With the Educational Institutions (Regulations of Fee) Act, schools and colleges will no more be able to make a business out of the profession, he said.