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By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 11:29:11 am

Fadnavis writes off Rs 48,000 crore

Mumbai: In a clear indication that the Maharashtra government is leaving no stone unturned to keep the state’s agrarian base happy, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has unleashed yet another massive populist measure. Hot on the heels of relaxing the eligibility criteria to ensure a blanket farm loan waiver, the Chief Minister announced a sweeping Rs 48,000 crore waiver on the pending electricity bills of farmers across the state. Addressing a ‘Krutadnyata Sohala’ (gratitude ceremony)...

Fadnavis writes off Rs 48,000 crore

Mumbai: In a clear indication that the Maharashtra government is leaving no stone unturned to keep the state’s agrarian base happy, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has unleashed yet another massive populist measure. Hot on the heels of relaxing the eligibility criteria to ensure a blanket farm loan waiver, the Chief Minister announced a sweeping Rs 48,000 crore waiver on the pending electricity bills of farmers across the state. Addressing a ‘Krutadnyata Sohala’ (gratitude ceremony) organized by the BJP Kisan Morcha at Mumbai’s Yashwantrao Chavan Pratishthan on Wednesday, Fadnavis declared that farmers using agricultural pumps of up to 7.5 horsepower will see their historical electricity dues completely wiped out. The announcement was met with the traditional sounding of the Tutari and thunderous applause from hundreds of farmers who had gathered from every corner of the state. The Chief Minister framed the mega-sop as a necessary step to “wipe the farmers’ slate clean,” enabling them to write a new chapter of prosperity. Calculated Pitch The timing and scale of the announcement underscore a government that is boldly embracing populist economics to solidify its political footprint in rural Maharashtra. While Fadnavis maintained that these decisions were taken purely in the interest of the farmers—pointing out that the original loan waiver was announced when no elections were in sight—the political undertones were unmistakable. Taking a sharp dig at the opposition, the Chief Minister accused rival parties of running “political shops” in the name of farmer agitations without understanding the government’s genuine intent. Asserting his grassroots connection, Fadnavis proudly claimed, “I do not make decisions sitting in my house. I am a farmer myself, a man of the soil.” He openly defended the government’s recent move to strip away the stringent conditions attached to the blanket farm loan waiver, signaling that his administration will not hesitate to clear bureaucratic hurdles if it means putting money directly into the hands of the rural voter. Balancing Sops Even as he rained freebies, the Chief Minister attempted to balance the populist optics with a dose of economic pragmatism. He acknowledged that handing out repeated loan waivers is a symptom of deep-rooted agrarian distress, not a permanent cure. Pointing to the Rs 95,000 crore in aid currently being pumped into the agricultural sector by the state and central governments, Fadnavis outlined his administration’s shift toward an investment-driven agricultural model. He championed the success of schemes like ‘Jalyukt Shivar’ and ‘Magel Tyala Shettale’ (farm ponds on demand), claiming these initiatives have already empowered farmers to harvest multiple crops a year. Addressing the core issue of farming costs, he noted that the government already subsidises power to the tune of Rs 25,000 crore annually. By coupling this with a push for solar pumps and solar agricultural feeders, he promised that 100 percent of the state’s farmers would receive uninterrupted daytime electricity by the end of the year. Infra Dream Looking beyond immediate financial relief, the Chief Minister laid out a grandiose vision to permanently drought-proof Maharashtra’s most vulnerable regions. A staggering Rs 6 lakh crore infrastructure pipeline is being planned to ensure the next generation never witnesses a drought. Fadnavis detailed ambitious river-linking projects, including the Wainganga-Nalganga link, to divert excess floodwaters to parched regions. The state plans to construct 24 new dams and raise the height of 16 existing ones to ensure not a single district in Vidarbha faces water scarcity. Furthermore, massive engineering feats are on the drawing board to divert 200 TMC of floodwater from Western Maharashtra to Marathwada, and lift 275 TMC of wasted water from the Ulhas basin to quench the thirst of North Maharashtra and Marathwada. By marrying immediate, massive debt relief with long-term infrastructure promises, the Fadnavis administration is aggressively cementing its pro-farmer narrative. As the Yashwantrao Chavan auditorium echoed with whistles and cheers, it became highly evident that the government’s strategy of pairing mega populist waivers with big-ticket rural dreams is striking a powerful chord with the state’s agrarian voters.

Closed OT, Negligence, Biased Inquiry

How my family was pushed into mental and financial trauma

During my wife Vrushali’s pregnancy, I witnessed the apathy of the government hospital in Ulhasnagar. The hospital had two operation theatres, yet both were reportedly kept closed simultaneously. The modular operation theatre remained shut from August 21, 2024 to February 20, 2026 while the second operation theatre was also closed for renovation work for several months. I could not understand how a government maternity hospital could allow both operation theatres to remain non-functional at the same time, especially when pregnant women’s lives depend on emergency medical care.

 

On February 12, my wife suddenly developed pregnancy-related complications, and I admitted her to the Government Maternity Hospital and Dispensary at Ulhasnagar-4. At that moment, all we wanted was proper treatment and safety for my wife and unborn child. While treatment was underway, I was informed that the heartbeat of our unborn baby had suddenly increased to nearly 200. The situation became extremely critical. Around 1:50 am, doctors told us that my wife was being referred to Thane as a “higher centre.”

 

At that moment, I was shocked and confused. Ulhasnagar Central Hospital was barely around 2.5 kilometres away, yet no proper coordination or emergency arrangement was made there. I tried contacting Medical Superintendent Dr. Shashikant Dode for urgent help and guidance. Around 2 am, I made nearly 20 phone calls, but there was allegedly no response.

 

Meanwhile, my wife was terrified. During her pregnancy, she had already experienced the difficulties caused by the closure of operation theatres, rude behaviour from nursing staff, negligence by doctors, and lack of facilities at the government hospital. Because of those experiences, she had developed deep fear and anxiety about being treated there again.

 

She emotionally pleaded with us, saying “Please admit me to a private hospital. Do not take me back to a government hospital. My life and the life of my unborn child may be at risk, and because of negligence by doctors in the government hospital, both of us could lose our lives.” As a husband, hearing those words was heartbreaking. Looking at her mental condition and the situation around us, my family and I finally decided to shift her to a private hospital in Kalyan. At around 3:10 am on February 13, we admitted her there.

 

Stable Condition

After examination, doctors at the private hospital reportedly told us that my wife was stable. She received proper treatment, her condition improved, and she was discharged on February 14.

 

That raised a major question in my mind: if my wife was stable, why was such an urgent midnight referral made? Why was our family pushed into panic, trauma, and financial burden? I strongly felt that patients were being referred elsewhere merely to avoid responsibility.

 

After this incident, I decided not to remain silent. On February 15, I submitted written complaints to the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, Health Minister, Health Secretary, Health Commissioner, District Collector, Deputy Director of Health Services, and other senior authorities. An inquiry committee was formed on February 18, but during the inquiry process itself, I noticed several disturbing issues. People unrelated to the investigation were allegedly allowed to remain present during proceedings. This created serious doubts in my mind about the transparency and fairness of the inquiry.

 

Later, on April 10, 2026, when I received the inquiry report, I was shocked to see that statements of several nurses were allegedly word-for-word identical. It appeared to me that the process had been conducted in a pre-planned manner. I also felt that since inquiry committee members and concerned officials had been working in the same district for years, the report was biased and aimed at protecting responsible doctors and nursing staff.

 

Fresh Inquiry

Because of these concerns, I raised formal objections against the first inquiry report on April 22. After that, a fresh two-member inquiry committee was constituted. However, during the inquiry conducted on May 12, one of the committee members, said to me “settle the matter and close the case.”


Hearing this from a member of the inquiry committee itself deeply disturbed me. I immediately questioned how a fair and impartial investigation could be expected if committee members themselves were allegedly suggesting compromise instead of focusing on truth and accountability.


To ensure transparency, I requested that the inquiry proceedings be conducted before CCTV cameras so that no false allegations or manipulation could happen later. However, the concerned members clearly stated that the inquiry would not be conducted “on camera.” This further strengthened my suspicion that attempts were being made to protect the accused officials.


This fight is not only about my wife and unborn child. This fight is about every pregnant woman and every family that depends on the government healthcare system in times of emergency.

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