Uddhav Thackeray puts brakes on bullet train, says will review project

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday hinted that his administration would review all projects sanctioned by the erstwhile Devendra Fadnavis government, in what could spark tensions between the ruling Shiv Sena and the BJP, who were allies in the previous regime.
Thackeray was speaking to media persons after a two-day assembly session, which saw the government proving its majority and the BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis being appointed leader of the opposition.

In response to a question on whether his government would present a white paper on the government’s finances, Thackeray said, “Equations have changed, we have formed a new government, we have decided to take a review of all the projects taken up by the previous government. I am trying to understand the expenditures on proposed projects and when they are going to be completed.”

The chief minister, who asserted that he was not going after the previous BJP-led government, said, “If some of these projects are taking time to be completed, then I want to understand why. We will fix priority on some of these projects based on their importance...”

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project will be one of the projects that the Sena-led government would review, Thackeray said. “We are reviewing the project, we are not going to stop it, and we will take a decision.”

When asked whether the BJP’s priorities had been wrong, he said, “If everything was right, then this (change of government) would not have happened.”

Referring to Fadnavis’ demand that his government give Rs 25,000 per hectare as compensation for farmers affected by unseasonal rainfall, he said, “This is the same demand which we were making when we were in the opposition, now that they are in the opposition, they are also making the same... We want the Centre to intervene and give some relief.”

He also said the state had been contributing 40% of the country’s revenue to the Centre, but not getting anything as much in return.

The Centre should pitch in with funds to help farmers who have suffered huge crop losses, he said.

“If the taxes going to the Centre from Maharashtra are condoned for two years, then it would be helpful. We are capable of helping the farmers on our own; however, it does not mean that the Centre does not give any money if we are capable,” he said.

The Sena president said he planned to lead an all-party delegation, including the BJP, to meet the Prime Minister to seek more funds for the state.

Meanwhile, Thackeray and Fadnavis took on each other in the state assembly earlier on Sunday.

While congratulating Fadnavis on being elected opposition leader, Thackeray taunted him saying that if the BJP had agreed to the Sena’s 50-50 formula, then the current situation would not have come about.

“I would have been sitting at home today, watching the proceedings of the assembly on TV,” he said.

Referring to Fadnavis’ speech before the elections that he would be back as chief minister, Thackeray said he had never made such statements and it was the people’s will that he had become chief minister.

Fadnavis, however, retorted that he would soon return.

“When I said that I would be back as the chief minister, I did not give a time frame. I will be back,” he said.