Former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan
Chavan was in the city ahead of the concluding session of a 10-day training camp for Congress district presidents from Maharashtra. While supporting govt’s planned expenditure of Rs 34,000 crore on Kumbh-related infrastructure, he said the funds must be used to create durable civic assets rather than temporary facilities. “We are not opposed to spending Rs 34,000 crore on Kumbh Mela works.
Raising questions over the transparency of projects linked to the Simhastha Kumbh Mela , Chavan said Congress had sought the detailed project report (DPR) for the proposed works but had not received it so far. Govt must also focus on accelerating the city’s industrial growth,” he said. Three Union ministers, including Nitin Gadkari and Rajnath Singh, were likely to be replaced but had opposed the move, according to him. “There is no Union education minister with the national stature and credibility required to engage with students and address growing concerns over the examination system,” Chavan added.
“Centre should avoid undertaking the exercise without broad political consensus. The investment should create permanent infrastructure and contribute to Nashik’s long-term development. Chavan also claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi was facing resistance over a proposed Union cabinet reshuffle. On the education front, the former CM stressed the need for a full-time Union education minister, saying the portfolio was currently being handled as an additional charge by Union minister Pralhad Joshi.
Nashik : Former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Tuesday said Congress would oppose Centre’s proposed delimitation exercise, irrespective of whether Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) chose to support it. It should take all stakeholders into confidence before taking any decision on delimitation,” Chavan said, while speaking to reporters in Nashik ahead of Rahul Gandhi ’s visit on Wednesday. Gandhi is scheduled to address the closed-door programme on Wednesday at MTDC’s Grape Park Resort near Gangapur dam.