Development will be focus of government: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis
Mumbai: Promising a transparent administration, Maharashtra's new Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said his government will bring in a legislation for better delivery of services to the people.
44-year-old Fadnavis, who was sworn in as Chief Minister of the first BJP government in the state, got down to work immediately and has instructed Chief Secretary Swadheen Kshatriya to have a draft of the Right to Service Bill ready within a month.
"I have directed the Chief Secretary to prepare a draft of the legislation, a form of citizen's charter, to provide better services to the people who can take legal recourse if they don't get them," he told reporters at a meet the press programme shortly after taking oath.
He said the decision was taken at the first meeting of the Council of Ministers. Portfolios will be allocated to the seven Cabinet and two Ministers of State tomorrow. "People of Maharshtra have high expectations from us and it is a big responsibility. We will provide an efficient and transparent administration with focus on development," he said.
"The state government's financial condition is not that good. If all the assurances given by the erstwhile (Congress-NCP) government are to be implemented, the government would have to spend Rs 52,000 crore," Fadnavis said.
The Chief Minister said the decisions taken by the previous Congress-NCP government just before the model code of conduct for election kicked in will be reviewed. "It will take time to bring the administration back on the track but we will do it. We will bring Maharashtra to the number one position," he said.
Asked about the possibility of Shiv Sena joining the new government, Fadnavis said," There was a positive talk between Amit Shah and Uddhav Thckeray today." On the presence of godmen at the swearing-in ceremony, Fadnavis said, "They belonged to all religions. There is a thin line between belief and superstition. We are against superstition."
He also assured to look into the grievances of the media, particularly incidents of attack on journalists, and said there will be a regular media briefing after state cabinet meetings, a practice discontinued during the tenure of Vilasrao Deshmukh as Chief Minister.
