Maratha quota protest: Devendra Fadnavis says there should be no disruption to Ganeshotsav

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said there should be no disruption to Ganeshotsav as Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil headed towards Mumbai to stage a protest over the communitys quota demandsFadnavis said maintaining law and order was the responsibility of the police but stressed that the timing of the proposed protest during the festival could affect devotees and public movement in Mumbai and PuneMaintaining law and order is the responsibility of the police So far his application has not been rejected The Ganesh festival in MumbaiPune is the biggest festival among Hindu festivals there should be no disruption in it Fadnavis saidJarange Patil heads towards MumbaiJarange Patil left Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district on Tuesday and began his journey towards Mumbai where he has proposed staging a protest over reservation benefits for the Maratha communityHe had earlier issued an eightday ultimatum to the Maharashtra government and said he would begin an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan in Mumbai on September 19 if his demands were not addressedSpeaking to ANI in Jalna Jarange Patil said the agitation would move to Mumbai if the government failed to act within the deadlineThe government has eight days left If the Maratha communitys demands are not met within this period I will sit on a fast unto death at Mumbais Azad Maidan at 10 AM on September 19 Whatever happens next will take place in Mumbai The government shows no regard for the issues faced by poor Marathas he saidThe proposed protest comes during Ganeshotsav which began on September 14 and is being observed across Maharashtra Mumbai witnesses large public gatherings and processions during the festival leading authorities to make additional arrangements for traffic management crowd control and securityGovernment delegation had met activistThe latest development follows a meeting between a Maharashtra government delegation and Jarange Patil on September 4 when the activist was on an indefinite hunger strike at Antarwali SaratiThe delegation appealed to him to withdraw his agitation but he continued to press for his demandsThe delegation included Maharashtra ministers Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil Uday Samant and Makarand Aaba Patil along with BJP MLA Prasad Lad Discussions were held on various demands raised by the Maratha communityMumbai Police have also denied permission for the proposed protest at Azad Maidan citing lawandorder concerns during the ongoing Ganesh festival Jarange Patil has nevertheless continued with his plan to travel to MumbaiFadnavis announces shipyard projectDuring his interaction with the media Fadnavis also spoke about the state governments plans for a large shipbuilding and shiprepair facilityHe said the Maharashtra government had signed an agreement involving Rs 27000 crore to establish the Maharashtra Shipyard across three ports According to Fadnavis the project would become the countrys largest facility for shipbuilding and ship repairThe Maharashtra government has signed an agreement to build the Maharashtra Shipyard at three ports This is a Rs 27000 crore agreement It will be the countrys largest shipyard for shipbuilding and ship repair It will generate 15000 direct and 75000 indirect jobs Forty percent of the countrys shipbuilding target will be built at this shipyard itself After taking all permissions we will start it soon Fadnavis saidThe project is expected to include a shipbuilding cluster at Dighi in Raigad district Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited has been identified as the anchor shipyard under the proposed projectGreenfield shipbuilding cluster planned at DighiAccording to details shared by the Chief Ministers Office Fadnavis presided over the signing and exchange of a memorandum of understanding between National Shipbuilding and Heavy Industries Park Maharashtra Limited and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited at Mantralaya in MumbaiThe proposed Greenfield Shipbuilding Industrial Cluster will be located at Dighi in Raigad district with Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited serving as the anchor shipyardThe project is planned to have a shipbuilding capacity of at least 12 million gross tonnes per year The National Shipbuilding Mission has given inprinciple approval for expenditure of Rs 27500 crore for the project according to the details provided by the Chief Ministers OfficeFadnavis speaks about sugar factoriesFadnavis also spoke about measures concerning sugar factories and said the government was taking steps to support their operations while ensuring that farmers benefitHe said Sugar factories should run properly hence they will get a loan of Rs 75 lakh crore the interest on which will be paid by the government So farmers will also benefit Maharashtra is number one in FRP paymentThe Chief Ministers remarks on the proposed protest came as Jarange Patils journey towards Mumbai began with the timing of the planned agitation coinciding with the ongoing Ganesh festivalWith inputs from ANI