Maharashtra Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao who addressed a joint session of the state legislature in English initially switched to Marathi as opposition leaders asked him to speak in Marathi. Thus this time it was the turn of opposition parties like Congress and NCP to raise the Marathi language issue a matter which is often raised by parties like Shiv Sena and MNS. Sena and MNS are always known to play the Marathi card to woo local people. The opposition also criticised the government for its failure to provide relief to drought hit farmers and favouring dance bar owners. They attacked the government for its inability tackle the drought situation in the state and failing law and order situation. Whenever Rao tried to speak about the developmental projects undertaken by the state the opposition asked him to talk about farmers. They tried to disrupt the proceedings asking the government to waive loan of farmers. Opposition also shouted that the government has shut fodder camps and is keen to start dance bars.
“We want loan waiver for farmers,” the opposition legislators shouted.
“Down with the government which has ignored farmers,” they said.
“We want a legislation banning dance bars,” the opposition members further said.
Legislative Council Chairman Ramraje Nimbal-kar, Assembly Speaker Haribhau Bagade, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Leaders of Opposition in the Legislative Council and Assembly, Dhananjay Munde and Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil respectively, were present in the House.
The governor announced that the government is committed to preserve, develop and promote Marathi language.
“My government is celebrating ‘Marathi Bhasha Samvardhan Pandharvada’ every year with enthusiastic response from the public. Authenticated Marathi texts of 166 Central Acts are being made available on the website of Directorate of Languages to enable citizens to have free of cost access to the laws in Marathi,” he said.
The governor said the state government has provide drought assistance to farmers. He said, “The state is facing drought for the fourth successive year and nearly 15750 villages are adversely affected in the current Kharif season,” Rao said addressing a joint sitting of the Houses.
“The Central Government has approved relief assistance of Rs 3049-crore, which is the highest-ever central assistance given to Maharashtra. My government till date has disbursed an amount of Rs 2536-crore to the drought affected farmers,” he added.
“My government has decided to extend relief assistance to the people who suffered crop loss, house damage due to unseasonal rains and hailstorm during the year 2015. The Central Government has revised the Norms of relief Assistance under State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF),” he said.
The governor said that the Shivaji Maharaj memorial off Mumbai coast will be completed by 2019.
“I am happy to inform that all clearances have been obtained for constructing the national monument of revered Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.”
