Mumbai: After the midnight political drama by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari kicked up a storm in power corridors, he tried to please all and sundry by reading his speech in Marathi.
The Members of Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council attended a joint sitting at the Central Hall of the state legislature. According to a tradition, the first session of the newly-elected government is addressed by the Governor and he delivers a speech, explaining the vision and mission of the new government. Generally, the governor reads the speech in English. But, Koshiyari did another hoshiyari and surprised everyone by reading the speech in Marathi. All the legislators, especially CM Uddhav Thackeray, could not hide this pleasant surprise and seemed happy.
The governor’s speech was repetition of the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) released by the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) just before the swearing-in of the Uddhav Thackeray government on November 28.
Law for 80% reservations soon
"The government is concerned about unemployment and will enact a law to ensure 80 per cent reservation in private sector jobs for the sons of the soil," the governor announced.
He said the government would provide a meal at Rs10 to common citizens and build a super-speciality hospital in every district of the state.
"The government will set up centres to provide a meal at Rs10 in the state. Clinics will be set up where health screening will be done at Rs 1. Super-speciality hospitals will be constructed in every district," he said.
The governor also said appropriate steps would be taken to bail out farmers whose Kharif crop were damaged in the unseasonal rains in November.
“Farmers from 349 tehsils in 34 districts of Maharashtra suffered crop-loss due to untimely showers. Appropriate measures would be taken to ease their woes. This government will also work to provide appropriate remuneration to farmers for their lost produce,” he said.
Koshyari also said the government would try to offer education to women free of cost and build hostels for working women. "A progressive society offers opportunity for the people. We will try to offer higher education to women for free. This government will also try to provide hostels to working women in all the district headquarters," he added.
Koshyari said the new government will formulate a policy to attract more Information Technology (IT) firms to make investment in the state.
"To attract more investment in other industrial sectors, we will offer more facilities and better clearance services," he said, adding the government will continue its efforts to efficiently enforce plastic ban across the state.
"This government will try to address the pending issues of OBCs and other communities. The issues of anganwadi and Asha workers will be addressed amicably," he added.
