MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday in New Delhi and discussed key issues related to the state’s development, infrastructure projects and ongoing welfare initiatives.
CM Devendra Fadnavis, sharing the details of his meeting with PM Narendra Modi on social media platform X, stated that he briefed the Prime Minister on the progress and status of several major projects currently underway in Maharashtra.
“Called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Sought his guidance on various subjects pertaining to Maharashtra’s development. I also briefed him on the progress and status of many works and projects of Maharashtra,” Fadnavis said.
The Chief Minister described the interaction as encouraging and said meeting the Prime Minister always brings “positive energy”. However, specific details regarding the projects discussed during the meeting were not revealed. Mr Fadnavis was holding the thick file when he met PM Narendra Modi.
Sources said that Maharashtra is facing a huge shortage of fuel, especially diesel, besides onion and sugar cane farmers are protesting against the crashed onion and sugar prices. The onion-growing farmers are demanding the relief package.
CM Fadnavis, along with deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, DCM Sunetra Pawar and other leaders, met union cooperative minister Amit Shah, agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, etc., and discussed the onion and sugar prices issue.
After the meeting, CM Devendra Fadnavis said it was a positive meeting, and they discussed increasing the Minimum Support Price (MSP), and the minister has also admitted there is a need to increase the MSP of sugar cane besides expanding ethanol quotas in the next two months and restructuring loans for the sugar industry.
He stated that the Centre has sought a proposal regarding ethanol production, adding that approval of the proposal could help resolve difficulties faced by sugar mill owners across the state.
“The scale pricing will also be finalised and restricted. The central government has asked the state government to submit the proposal, and that will be done soon. This will resolve sugar cane farmers’ issue,” CM said.
“The state government has urged NAFED to increase onion procurement from 2 lakh tonnes to 10 lakh tonnes. Government procurement agencies should purchase onions directly from farmers and not through traders. We also discussed increasing procurement prices further to stabilise onion rates and provide relief to farmers.
The procurement price for onions has already been raised to Rs 15.80 per kg, and a further hike has been requested. A decision on the proposal is expected within the next 10 days.
Government agencies have also refused to procure onions from farmers citing poor quality. That issue, too, needs to be resolved by simplifying the grading system,” Fadnavis said.
He added that the state government has also requested rationalisation of the export surcharge to boost the local onion market.
He said they also discussed the Maharashtra government’s focus on infrastructure growth, agricultural relief measures and strengthening support for cooperative sectors in the state.
