Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Wednesday said he has directed the Pune police commissioner to investigate the alleged rape of a woman inside a stationary state transport bus at the Swargate depot and swiftly arrest the accused. A history-sheeter out on bail since 2019 allegedly raped the 26-year-old woman inside the parked bus at the busy Swargate depot of the MSRTC in Pune city on Tuesday morning. The accused, Dattatraya Ramdas Gade (36), is on the run, police said. In a statement, Pawar, who is the guardian minister of Pune district, said the incident at the Swargate bus station is "painful, infuriating, and shameful", and the accused deserves death penalty. "The incident of rape at the Swargate bus station is extremely unfortunate, painful, infuriating and shameful to all in civilized society. The crime committed by the accused is unforgivable and there can be no other punishment for him than death. I have directed the Pune police commissioner to personally look

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday said it was still unclear who was the target of Eknath Shinde's remark that he should not be taken lightly. Addressing the valedictory session of the 98th Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan here, Pawar wondered whether Shinde meant to say that Shiv Sena-UBT should not be taken lightly or someone else. Shinde, who spoke after Pawar, did not elaborate and merely said that the "don't take me lightly" comment was a reference to an incident that took place over two years ago. "Recently, Shinde used a phrase 'don't take me lightly'. It is still not clear who was the target of those remarks," Pawar said in the presence of Shinde, who is also deputy CM, at the Talkatora Stadium. "It is still not clear whether 'Mashal' should not be taken lightly or someone else should not take him lightly," Pawar said. 'Mashal' is the election symbol of Shiv Sena-UBT led by Uddhav Thackeray. Pawar also made it clear that there was no rift within

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has alleged that many contractors are submitting bills and receiving money for development works without carrying them out, warning that such practices won't be tolerated. He was speaking on Saturday at a programme in Partur in Jalna district where ex-MLA and Congress leader Suresh Jethliya joined his Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The deputy CM rued that the quality of development work remains substandard despite substantial government expenditure, and vowed to not let contractors join his party. Bills are being submitted and money is withdrawn without doing work. Don't come to my party (NCP), said Pawar, who is also the state's finance minister. He also urged government officials to do their job sincerely. The government spends crores of rupees on salaries and pensions, yet quality work is not being done. We implemented the Seventh Pay Commission, and now we will introduce the Eighth Pay Commission. Why is responsibility not being

Pawar further emphasised the importance of proper food preparation

The Maharashtra government is considering the use of artificial intelligence (AI) on an experimental basis in the agriculture sector to boost productivity and reduce production costs for farmers, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said on Monday. During a review meeting here, Pawar directed the state agriculture department to work with the cooperation department to assess the technical and financial feasibility of the project. State Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate, Minister of State for Agriculture Ashish Jayswal, Minister of State for Cooperation Pankaj Bhoyar, President of the All India Grape Growers Association Kailas Patil, and other senior officials attended the meeting. Pawar said, "As crucial factors like crop health, soil carbon levels and soil health can be monitored using AI, we can use it on an experimental basis in the agriculture sector to boost productivity and reduce product cost for farmers." He said the transformation has to be practical and financially viable f

Amid the political row over the murder of a sarpanch, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday asked NCP workers in Beed district not to get involved in extortion attempts targeting development projects. Asking his party workers to maintain a "clean character", the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief said political interference will not be tolerated in the administration. His remarks come against the backdrop of the arrest of Walmik Karad, a close associate of state NCP minister Dhananjay Munde, in an extortion case linked to the murder of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh in Beed district. The opposition has been demanding Munde's ouster in the wake of the arrest of his associate and to facilitate an impartial probe into the murder of Deshmukh. Pawar arrived in Beed on Thursday morning, his first visit since becoming the district guardian minister. Addressing a gathering of NCP workers, he said, "Maintain a clean character. Everybody should take care not to mingle with

Activist Anjali Damania on Wednesday said she would file a Public Interest Litigation and make even the chief minister a respondent if the Maharashtra government did not act against minister Dhananjay Munde within four days. Speaking to Marathi news channels, Damania, who met deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar two days ago, said she had given all necessary documentary evidence about Munde's 'nexus' with extortion case accused Walmik Karad. "I have given the government an ultimatum of 96 hours....I will wait for four days...to see if action is taken against Munde. Else I will file a PIL and make chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, deputy CM Ajit Pawar respondents and personally liable," she said. She had provided evidence about alleged financial dealings of Karad and Munde and also about a firm in which they are partners getting a contract from a government company, she said. Munde, a leader of the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), is facing the heat since the murder of

Nationalist Congress Party (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Friday sought to downplay his closed-door meeting with estranged nephew and Maharashtra deputy CM Ajit Pawar in Pune, and asserted no issue related to their respective parties was discussed. Speaking to reporters in Kolhapur city, the former Union agriculture minister insisted discussion at the meeting solely centred around a sugar industry project. Asked about the possibility of rival NCP factions, headed by him and Ajit Pawar, coming together and if this issue was touched up in the meeting, the veteran politician asserted no party-related matter was discussed. "In the meeting, Ajit Pawar, myself and people associated with the (sugar industry) project were present," he said. The two politicians were in Pune to attend the annual general body meeting of the Vasantdada Sugar Institute (VSI), which is headed by the senior Pawar. Deputy CM Ajit Pawar is a member of the Pune-based VSI, a prominent research institute of the sugar

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday said that the incident occurred after rumours of fire in the train

After 13 people lost their lives in Jalgaon train accident, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday said that the incident occurred after rumours of fire in the train which created panic among the travellers and as a result, people started jumping off the train and subsequently was hit by another speeding train.Pawar stated that the rumour was spread by two persons Udhal Kumar and Vijay Kumar, when they heard a tea seller shouting about a fire in the bogie after which both of them panicked and subsequently people started jumping off the train to save themselves.Speaking to reporters, Ajit Pawar said, "After the railway incident, the administration and other forces got active and started the relief & rescue operations... Udhal Kumar and Vijay Kumar from Shravasti were on the train... They were travelling in the general bogie and were sitting on the upper berth... One tea seller from the pantry shouted about a fire in the bogie, both of them heard that and ...

Maharashtra NCP (SP) president Jayant Patil on Sunday said that Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar may have preferred to take up the guardian ministership of Beed district considering the prevailing situation in the aftermath of a sarpanch's murder. Ministers in Maharashtra are given responsibility for one or more districts. As per a list released by the state government, Pawar has been allotted Beed district in addition to Pune, his home district. Talking to reporters here, Patil said there was no point in criticising the appointment of guardian ministers, and people now have to see how they perform. He said the situation in Beed is complicated, so Ajit Pawar may have preferred to go there. Minister Dhananjay Munde, MLA from Parali in Beed, was the guardian minister of this central Maharashtra district in the previous government. But he has been in the eye of the storm over the brutal murder of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh in the district. Walmik Karad, Munde's associate, has been ...

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday claimed that the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) was trying to engineer defections in the rival NCP (SP), promising its leaders berths in the union cabinet. Raut's comment came after NCP leader Amol Mitkati said that some Lok Sabha members from the Sharad Pawar-led NCP were in contact with Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. NCP (SP) MLA and former state minister Jitendra Awhad also alleged that Sunil Tatkare, state chief of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, had asked MPs of the rival faction to "leave the father and daughter". Tatkare's reaction to these claims was awaited. Speaking to reporters, Raut alleged that senior NCP leader Praful Patel and Tatkare had been assigned the task of engineering defections in the Sharad Pawar-led faction. At present, the Ajit-led NCP has only one Lok Sabha MP, Tatkare, while the rival NCP (SP) has eight Lok Sabha members. "The party (NCP) will not get any post in the Union ...

Acknowledging the high number of ministers and the restrictions in assigning portfolios to each of them, Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar said on Sunday that some members are obviously not happy. A day after portfolios were allocated by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Pawar said the work on pending projects would begin soon. The NCP chief led a road show in his constituency, Baramati, and attended felicitation programmes. "As the number of ministers is high, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had to give each minister a portfolio. Obviously, some are happy and some are not," Pawar said at an event. He pointed out that the state Cabinet includes only six ministers of state, while the rest 36 are cabinet ministers. Pawar, who retained the Finance ministry, said he would take charge of the office on Monday. The Deputy CM further said the work on multiple projects had to be stopped temporarily after the model code of conduct kicked in for the November 20 Maharashtra assembly ...

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday allocated portfolios to his council of ministers, retaining the crucial Home department with him. Fadnavis will also handle Energy, Law and Judiciary, General Administration Department and Information and Publicity departments, an official statement said here. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has been allocated Urban Development, Housing and Public Works Department (public enterprises). Ajit Pawar, another deputy CM, got Finance and Planning, State Excise. The portfolios were allocated after the weeklong winter session of the state Legislature ended here earlier in the day. As many as 39 ministers had been sworn in on December 15, before the start of the session, while Fadnavis and his two deputies had taken the oath of office on December 5. The Mahayuti alliance of the BJP, NCP and Shiv Sena swept the November 20 assembly elections, winning 230 of 288 seats. Portfolios allocated to BJP ministers are -- Chandrashekhar

Maharashtra Minister Bharat Gogawale on Saturday said that the allocation of portfolios in the Mahayuti government is expected during the day. The Winter Session of the state assembly, which began on December 16, will conclude on Saturday. Talking to reporters here, Gogawale said, "The allocation of portfolios is expected today. Leaders of all three alliance partners met on Friday, and we had a breakfast meeting with the chief minister this morning." Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his deputies Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar were sworn in on December 5, and 39 ministers were inducted ahead of the Winter Session on December 15 at Raj Bhavan in Nagpur. However, portfolio allocation in the Mahayuti government is yet to take place. The Mahayuti, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party, secured a landslide victory in the November 20 assembly polls by winning 230 out of 288 seats. The Shiv Sena leader asserted that there was no difference of opinion among Mahayu

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday urged the BJP-led Centre to remove the 20 per cent levy on onion exports and provide relief to the grower of the bulbous vegetable. In a letter to Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Pawar highlighted the issues concerning farmers from Nashik district, where onion is grown in large quantities. The onions grown here (in Nashik) are available in other states of India and also exported in large quantities. As of today, onions from the summer yield have been exhausted and the fresh crop has reached various (Agriculture Produce) Market Committees in Maharashtra, Pawar wrote. Due to the arrival of a large stock of onions, farmers are now in distress as they are forced to sell their produce at a much lower rate since they have yet to receive any minimum support price, said Pawar. They are selling onions at an average of Rs 2,400 per quintal, he said. Unseasonal rains and changing climate have already caused a huge dent in the ...

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Wednesday said the government expected a recovery of 20 per cent of the outstanding tax or Rs 6,000 crore from the dues under an amnesty scheme related to state GST demands. The amnesty scheme, introduced on November 1, is expected to receive 1.14 lakh applications for the waiver of penalty and interest accumulated from 2017-18 to 2019-20, he said. "The scheme will be in force till March 31, 2025, for the recovery of the outstanding Rs 54,000 crore, including Rs 27,000 crore towards the disputed tax and the rest in penalty and accumulated interest," Pawar said in the legislative assembly. He said the state government expects to recover 20 per cent of the outstanding tax or Rs 6,000 crore. Pawar said businessmen and industries participating in the amnesty scheme would benefit Rs 6,000 crore. "The scheme offers a waiver in penalty and interest on the outstanding tax amount," he added. Pawar said the GST Department sent out 80,000 let

Overlooked for a berth in the new Mahayuti ministry, NCP heavyweight Chhagan Bhujbal on Tuesday openly criticised party chief and Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and other leaders, including Praful Patel, for "sidelining" senior members and taking decisions without consultation. Speaking to reporters in Nashik, his home district in north Maharashtra, Bhujbal said he met his supporters to explain his omission from the Devendra Fadnavis-led cabinet which was expanded on December 15 in Nagpur with the induction of 39 members. The 77-year-old MLA from Yeola in Nashik district, who was a cabinet member in the previous Mahayuti government, did not find a place in the new ministry. "People are still confused. I got elected by my people and I need to tell them the reasons behind my omission from the cabinet. I explained everything to them. They told me they will stand firmly behind me and requested me not to leave the assembly. I assured them that I will not abandon them," Bhujbal said. .

Supporters of NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal in Pune staged protests on Tuesday over his exclusion from the Maharashtra cabinet alleging insult to OBCs. An agitation was also held outside the bungalow of Deputy CM and NCP chief Ajit Pawar in Baramati. Former ministers Bhujbal and Dilip Walse Patil of the NCP and Sudhir Mungantiwar and Vijaykumar Gavit of the BJP were among the prominent leaders who didn't make it to the state cabinet expanded on Sunday. "Despite being the senior-most leader in NCP, Bhujbal was denied a cabinet berth which is an insult to the OBC community. If you had decided to allot cabinet posts to the senior leaders, then why did the same parameter not apply to Bhujbal?" asked one of the protesters who participated in a demonstration outside the district collectorate in Pune. NCP workers wore black clothes and slammed Ajit Pawar. A protester demanded Ajit Pawar make an announcement assigning the deputy chief minister's post to Bhujbal after 2.5 years. Another prot

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday said the ruling Mahayuti will also give a chance to other legislators, who have not found a place in the current ministry, during this government's tenure. "We will give an opportunity to others also for two-and-a-half years," NCP leader Pawar said addressing a gathering of his party workers in Nagpur before the cabinet expansion. Everybody wants to become a minister and deserves an opportunity, but the ministerial berths are limited, he pointed out. The 10-day-old BJP-led Mahayuti alliance ministry in Maharashtra was expanded here on Sunday, with 39 ministers being sworn in, taking its strength to 42. In the expansion, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) got 19 ministerial berths, followed by 11 to Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and 9 for Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Among the prominent leaders left out of the ministry include NCP's Chhagan Bhujbal and Dilip Walse Patil and BJP's Sudhir Mungantiwar. While 33 ...