Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan is a game changer for government: Devendra Fadnavis

UN: While completing one year in office, what is the single-best achievement that you can underline in the last one year?
CM: After coming to power we launched Jalyukta Sivar Abhiyan, and according to me, this scheme is a game changer; it is not that I am saying this, Magsaysay Award winner and India's waterman Rajendra Singh has lauded Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan as a game-changer scheme for the entire country and he mentioned this at the Stockholm water conference. In less than a year, we have undertaken more than one lakh works in six thousand villages with an aim to make them drought-free forever. While completing one year in office, I have reviewed the progress of this scheme and received reports from all the district collectors. Udayji, you will not believe but in less than a year the state has created additional water capacity of 24 TMC, which can bring a 6-lakh acre area under irrigation. If at all the same work was taken up by the previous government, it would have taken them three and a half to four years. We have achieved this by spending Rs1,400 crore, but the previous government — if we go by the estimates system — would have spent anything between Rs7,200 crore to Rs13,000 crore. Our government could convert it into a mass movement of water conservation and it has shown the results. With the withdrawing monsoon rains, drought-hit Osmanabad and Solapur have accumulated water where Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan works were undertaken. I have been told that the area under jowar cultivation is going to get doubled or even tripled during the Rabi season. That is the reason Jalyukta Shivar is going to be a path-breaking scheme for the entire country.

UN: Can you tell us which is the biggest failure in last one year?
CM: Biggest failure is that we could not convey effectively to the people what we achieved in just one year. At the same time, I should accept that those who are criticising us are using the communication channels better than us. But I have belief in the people of Maharashtra. What I have decided is that we'd communicate our work in a better way, and for this, instead of celebrating one year in office, we have decided to communicate the government decisions in an effective way. Of course, people have given us a mandate for change and transformation over a period of five years, but we would try to improve communicating it to them effectively.

DB: We have severe drought conditions and farmers are not getting the price for their farm produce — be it soybean, cotton or any other crop — since prices are coming down. When you were in the Opposition, you used to press for a Rs6,000 price tag for cotton. Why are you not providing the same now?
CM: The previous UPA government at the Centre had signed agreements at an international level in such a way that it was difficult to even provide minimum support price. I called on prime minister Narendra Modiji and he immediately scrapped such international contracts which prevent us from paying the farmers due MSP. It was difficult to provide bonus for paddy and I gave Rs250 for paddy growers, which is also being challenged. Last year, the Union government announced a price of Rs4,050 for cotton and in Maharashtra the purchase started at Rs3,200. It was market intervention by my government by bearing Rs850 of the cost and we purchased almost 70 per cent of cotton which was produced in the state. For this, state government started cotton purchase centres and went for timely intervention. It resulted in improving the market situation and traders had to take the price up to Rs4,400. This market intervention was never done by the previous government. There is a need for value addition and as far as cotton is concerned, value addition is on only 25 per cent of the cotton produced and 75 per cent is directly sold without value addition. This has to be changed and that is the reason our government has decided to start integrated textile parks and 9 units have already started. This would bring reality to the dream of farm to fashion or fibre to fashion, cherished by our prime minister Narendra Modiji. We have done it in one year.

AJ: While Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan is yielding results, there are a few complaints. How serious are these complaints and would there be any action if irregularities are found?
CM: There are two types of complaints in this. One is about cement check dams — that the cement check dams did not sustain water pressure and were flown with the water stream, which is serious complaint. Of course, you have to note that this complaint is about cement check dams built in 2012, but still appropriate action would be taken in this regard. Previously, there were works undertaken by fixing the rates and this rate fixation was valid till June and all the work done after we launched the scheme has been through e-tendering. We have put real time pictures on website and there is internal as well as third-party monitoring of this scheme. When we are undertaking work on such a big scale it is possible that something or the other happens, but we would act against it.

SP: While we are counting the success of Jalyukta shivar Abhiyan, the drought situation is not yet over. Will your government take unpopular decisions like pinching the rich farmers who grow cash crops like sugar cane, grapes or cotton?
CM: We already have taken the decision of bringing cane cultivation under drip irrigation and in the next three years the entire cane cultivation in the state would be brought under drip irrigation. We are bringing out notification for the same since such decisions can't be arrived at overnight. I agree that sugar cane-growing farmers are comparatively rich but they are also facing problems this year. Taking into account the condition of our economy, those who are comparatively in a good position should contribute for the others. We are moving towards that.

UN: You always say that you would put behind bars the ex-ministers involved in scams. There is no need to mention the party to which these ministers belong, but what has happened is that these ex-ministers are not even turning up for the inquiry.
CM: You don't worry about it since we have provided a designated place for these people and they would reach their destination. The inquiry is progressing, charges are being finalised and I want to assure you that the last person who signed the files in this regard would also face action.

UN: There would not be any settlement…
CM: There would not be any settlement since we are not the people who go for such settlements.

DB: Are you sure that you would not require NCP support since there is always a discussion that BJP would require NCP's help if the situation arises? Do you think that Shiv Sena would continue to support the government? If it withdraws support, you would not require NCP support then?
CM: In the first place, why would Shiv Sena withdraw its support to the government? I know that the government has a majority in the state assembly but lacks it in the Upper House of legislative council. If NCP defeats any of our bills in the Upper House, we have an option of getting it passed by passing it again in Lower House of state assembly. As far as Shiv Sena is concerned, BJP and Shiv Sena know how to stay together and we are doing it for over 25 years. That is the reason we would never require any support from NCP and our government would last its full term of five years.

AJ: What are the problems in announcing the housing policy since in addition to this the development of BDD Chawls and Dharavi are also issues which have not been sorted out yet? Is it because there is pressure from the builder's lobby?
CM: Firstly, it is not that for one year the housing policy is not coming. We had announced that we would announce the housing policy in May but since the Union government has come out with its scheme of providing housing to all by 2022, we have to undertake all our schemes in line with this scheme. Our housing policy is in the last stage and we would announce it soon. As far as pressure from builders is concerned, builders are actually insisting for a new policy and so there is no question of any pressure which is stopping the policy. As for the BDD chawls, we are hearing for the last 20 years that they would be developed, but my government would do it in its tenure and would develop the BDD chawls. I would like to tell you here that we have to stop doubting the intentions of the government at some point in time. What I can assure is that we would provide houses to all by 2022.

SP: Your government came to power by seeking Shiv Chhatrapati's blessings, but when it comes to the Shivaji Maharaj's memorial at Arabian Sea what are the environmental hurdles which your government passed? And what are the issues in the Indu Mill memorial as well as the Coastal road project? Are these projects only on paper?
CM: The previous government kept on discussing with the Union government, which was also a Congress-led government for 4-5 years, but it did not yield any results. Our government has sent the proposal to the Union government and now it is in such a stage that notification would come in the next 15 days after which we would build a memorial which would attract the attention of the entire world. As for the Indu Mill memorial, the date of April 14 was announced by the media and not by the government. October 4 was also published by a section of the media. I had made it clear that as per the clearance from the Prime Minister's Office, we would have the function either on October 4 or October 11. Accordingly, we are having a foundation laying ceremony this week and prime minister Narendra Modji is gracing the occasion. For the Indu Mill memorial, the Congress government wasted time and kept on telling that there is a need to pass a law in Lok Sabha. When I met the prime minister, he told me to seek advice from advocate general Mukul Rohatgi who made it clear that we can acquire the Indu Mill land by compensating the National Textile Corporation with TDR (Transferrable Development Rights)

UN: What about coastal road?
CM: We approached the Union government, but under the CRZ notification we can undertake projects like Bandra-Worli Sea Link but can't go for coastal roads. After the state government's insistence, the Union government has agreed to make amendments in the notification. This notification is now going for suggestions and objections and after 7-8 days it would be over.

UN: Your Indu Mill memorial programme is coinciding with the Bihar election campaign. Is it a mere coincidence?
CM: We had sent a request to the Prime Minister's Office and had decided the tentative programme date of October when Bihar election schedule was not announced. As far as the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's memorial is concerned, we cannot think with such myopic vision of election benefits. The previous government of Congress and NCP could not provide land for the last 15 years for the man who gave India its Constitution, and if they are questioning us on this issue, the real question is whether they have any right to do so?

UN: You always criticised the toll policy and assured that you would bring to an end this Zol of Toll. What has happened to Mumbai entry points and Mumbai-Pune Expressway tolls?
CM: You have to take into account where the Zol was. It was in the fact that contractors were showing that 70 per cent vehicles were big and 30 per cent were small, which was exactly otherwise and with this huge amounts of money was going to their pockets. By removing small vehicles from toll our government removed a big Zol. As far as Mumbai entry point tolls and Expressway is concerned, the previous government has not kept the condition of bye-back arrangement in toll contract. So, with the consent of the previous government, the toll contractors are looting people of the state and we have no option but to watch it. But don't worry, we are going to stop it forever.

SP: While you are abolishing toll and LBT, is the treasury in good health to make up for these losses?
UN: One of your ministers has said that the treasury is so empty that mice are running into it.
CM: As far as toll is concerned, the toll gets reduced in a tapering way. At present, the government is paying Rs400 crore and saving Rs2,000 crore from going to pockets of contractors. As far as LBT is concerned, it would last till March 2016 and we have created an interim arrangement till March 2016.

SP: The prime minister would be present for the foundation laying for yet another metro route and the Indu Mill memorial when earlier work is yet to be accomplished. Do you think that the state has the finance to undertake all these projects?
CM: The Metro project is being undertaken by MMRDA and it is going for availing loans for the project. One need not be worried about this since all developed countries in the world are looking for investing their money and they cannot rely on 2 per cent interest rate for investment. Instead, they would like to invest in projects abroad provided the projects are clean. What we need to do is undertake clean projects and it depends in our capacity to take up clean projects so that we can attract investment. Infrastructure bottlenecks can not result in development.

DB: Another issue is of unauthorised constructions. With a nexus of officers in local bodies and builders such constructions are sprawling and the common man who buys a house by availing loans is left unprotected. Would there be stern action on such officers?
CM: Yes definitely, there would be action against such officers. First of all, let me tell you that we are exploring that the law which is applied for investors protection is also applicable to builders. Since in such unauthorised constructions the third-party interest is created and the government is left with no option but to regularise these constructions, we are starting satellite surveillance for grabbing real time images. It would be easy to figure out at which level and under which officer the information of the unauthorised construction was there and who did not take action.

SP: Soon after swearing in your government took the first cabinet decision of providing Right to Services Act. You have witnessed during Lokshahi din that for small decisions people have to come to you and how it would be delivered effectively?
CM: I am 100 per cent confident that RTS would be delivered and you can think of conditions before the RTI came in. The system was opaque but ever since RTI has come even senior officers are afraid of RTI. I think with the advent of RTS, there would be fine and even suspension for not providing services to people; system would become more accountable.

DB: But there is always crowd at your office to meet you when an official at the Tehsildar level does not take decisions. Would such officers be punished?
CM: The RTS Act is for providing services as well as making the entire government job accountable. It has provision of punishment and even though at present 46 services are online, there are other 243 notified services which are provided off line and would be brought online. We intend to bring all municipal corporations and local bodies to Gram Panchayat level and services provided by them online. Generally, people are angry with the government since their small works are not being done and they don't have a legal recourse. Instead, what they have to do is to make rounds of government offices. RTS is providing this legal recourse which can either suspend an officer or even place his job in danger for not providing service to people in stipulated time.

UN: Crime is growing by the day in Nagpur. If your own city is not safe, how can we say that conviction rate is coming down?
CM: Since Nagpur happens to be the chief minister's city, it has come on the media radar. One suicide was clubbed with another by TV channels last week and it was flared up as if no girl is safe in the chief minister's city. I think the media should also have restrain and check the veracity.

UN: But what about prisoners fleeing the jail in Nagpur?
CM: Yes, it is true, but they have been nabbed again. The officer, Swati Sathe, had written a letter cautioning about the vulnerability of Nagpur jail but her superiors ignored it.

UN: Would there be action against such officers?
CM: Yes, there would action against such officers and no one would be spared. My government has issued 17 GRs for improving conviction rate and Maharashtra is now the only state in the country to have conviction rate of 42% which had come down to 8 per cent. Maharashtra is the first state to have all the police stations online and Pune is the first city in the state which is under CCTV surveillance round the clock. We are bringing south Bombay under CCTV surveillance in a month's time and in one year Mumbai would be the biggest city in the country to be under CCTV surveillance. The last government could not do it in six years after the blasts in Mumbai.

UN: Coming back to economy, we have Rs8,000 crore deficit and still you are going for abolishing LBT and waiving toll. How is the health of state's economy?
CM: I would say that economy is in best condition since we had legacy of empty treasury with a huge piling of loans. We had to provide Rs7,000 crore for drought mitigation soon after coming to power. We have chalked down
2-3 year's programme for harnessing resources and exploring additional income generation. We are preparing a new procurement policy. For the first time since MERC came into being, the power tariff has come down after 11 years.

AJ: As far as Shiv Sena is concerned, there is an impression that you corner Sena ministers, especially when it comes to investment the industry minister is sidelined. Why do you corner Shiv Sena ministers?
CM: There's is immense coordination between me and industry minister Subhash Desai and recently he received five awards in Delhi at the national level for Maharashtra's performance. I can understand that when we share good relations it is not news for you people. Differences in opinions are is understandable since it is expected in a democracy.

DB: The moment the government decides to hike petrol prices, Shiv Sena criticises it through its mouthpiece 'Saamna'.
CM: As far as criticism by newspapers is concerned, it is our policy not to comment on it. As for 'Saamna', you people, especially channels, start interpreting what 'Saamna' has published so much that 'Saamna' gets more publicity than its circulation because of this.

SP: Forget about Shiv Sena, the smaller alliance partners of your government — Rashtriya Samaj Party, RPI, Swabhimani and Shiv Sangram led by Vinayak Mete — all have expressed their anguish and are feeling ignored.
CM: All smaller parties would remain with the government and would have their share of power as well. We are addressing their aspirations.

DB: Jankar has fielded 40 candidates in Kalyan-Dombivli elections.
CM: There is nothing wrong in this. Jankar is BJP MLC but has his own organisation and party. I am confident that he would work for BJP's victory in this election.

UN: Are they being ignored since they don't have an option?
CM: Not at all, they in fact know that we are the honest people and are not like the previous government alliance partners.

AJ: There have been instances when the BJP Mumbai unit raised some issues and you ordered inquiry into the same. When you have the urban development department with you, why you don't order inquiries into the scams in BMC?
CM: We are observing Raj Dharma and as and when there is any complaint, we order an inquiry. BJP city unit president Ashsih Shelar brought out some irregularities with evidence and an inquiry was ordered. Recently, mayor Snehal Ambekar herself wrote a letter to the municipal commissioner about road issues and can you say that mayor is acting against Shiv Sena?

DB: There is allegation against you of violating the code of conduct by announcing Rs6,500 crore plans for Dombivli and the Opposition is demanding postponement of the elections. What is your take?
SP: Especially since you have chose not to speak on this for last one week.
CM: I have not announced anything new since these allocations are part of the Smart City proposal from the state government to the Centre. It is in public domain. If I am asked by the Election Commission, I would place my side before them. But for those who can't digest the development in last one year, I would not respond and there is no question of being afraid of such complaints.

UN: Why no leaders from Maharashtra, especially the CM, is seen campaigning in Bihar elections? Or else, you have been kept away since Sena is contesting there and it would be a problem for BJP?
CM: Not at all. People in Bihar can't be misled since they know what it means when Sena announced that it was contesting in Bihar. As far as the campaign is concerned, Bihar election will be for almost a month and I would go whenever the party invites me there.

SP: The entire state wants to know even after the arrest of Samir Gaikwad, a member of Sanatan Santha, in connection with the Govind Pansare murder case, what stops you from banning the organisation?
CM: I have made it clear before and would do so here also. We have assumed oath of office by saying that we would not function with enmity nor favour anyone. We would not act against Sanatan Sanstha just because so-called secularists demand or we would not hesitate from taking action if it is found guilty. I have already told that we would abide by Raj Dharma.

UN: After all your foreign tours how much is the investment and how much employment is generated in the state?
CM: As many as over one lakh jobs would be directly created through the Rs66,000 crore investment so far and it is increasing. In the ease of doing business initiative, we have brought down the number of permissions required for starting a new business from 74 to 37. There are many examples where multinationals were waiting for the entire year and we have given permissions in one day. We would make Maharashtra MahaUdyogRashtra.

UN: There is no violation of any environment related acts?
CM: Not at all, our policy is development with environment protection. Our acts are in line with Centre's CRZ Act and we are abiding by the same.

UN: What is the resolve for the next year?
CM: We have an agriculture development plan and we would bring 5,000 more villages under the Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan. We want to remove drought forever from all the 20,000 drought-prone villages in the state by 2019. In the next one year, we would work on more than 5,000 villages and take the number to 11,000 villages.

UN: How would you rate the media in the last one year?
CM: I can't do that but madia in the country has kept democracy alive and made it more vibrant. And I hope that this role would be performed with improved maturity. I don't have any complaints about media as such.

UN: Which is the happiest day in last one year?
CM: Of course, when I took oath as the chief minister.

UN: Which is the nightmarish day for you in last on year?
CM: Not nightmarish as such, but I could not sleep whenever any farmer committed suicide in the state. We are working towards it and I would like to bring it down.

UN: On behalf of the audience of Zee 24 Taas and dna I thank you for the time you spared for us and extend you best of luck for the days ahead.
CM: Thank you.