Maharashtra’s newly-crowned Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has reversed two decisions taken by former CM Uddhav Thackeray. Fadnavis has reversed Thackeray’s decision to move the Metro 3 car shed out of the Aarey Milk Colony and the decision to halt the Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan, the flagship water conservation programme from Fadnavis’ previous tenure as the chief minister.
Here are some decisions Thackeray himself had reversed and some bold moves he made during his chief ministership.
Colaba-Bandra-Seepz Metro corridor
Thackeray had stopped the construction of the Colaba-Bandra-Seepz Metro 3 corridor in Aarey Milk Colony and declared the colony a reserve forest. The Thackeray government had decided to move the construction out of the colony, as it is one of the last remaining green places in Mumbai but found itself in a legal spot over a new location. The colony is an extension of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and is a habitat for leopards and many other animals.
Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan
The Thackeray administration had paused Fadnavis’ pet water conservation project after a CAG report said that “despite spending Rs 9,633.75 crore, the ‘abhiyan’ (mission) had little impact in achieving water neutrality and increasing groundwater level.” The government then ordered a probe into the project in 2020. The scheme aimed at drought-proofing 5,000 villages each year but the CAG report brought up several critical issues with the project.
Withdrawing Bhima Koregaon and Maratha agitation cases
The Thackeray government also withdrew many cases associated with the Maratha reservation agitation and the eruption of violence between Dalits and Marathas near the village of Bhima Koregaon. The government withdrew 348 out of 649 registered cases in the Bhima Koregaon case and 460 out of 548 registered cases in the Maratha agitation matter.
Blocking CBI general consent
Following in the footsteps of other Opposition-controlled state governments, the MVA government withdrew the general consent extended by Maharashtra to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). This would prevent the central agency from probing cases in the state without orders from the judiciary.
The decision came just days after Mumbai Police had initiated a probe against three channels, including Republic TV, over fudging their TRP ratings. The Yogi Adityanath government in UP, in response, had filed a similar FIR and immediately handed the case over to the CBI.
