The three-week monsoon session of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly commenced on Monday in Mumbai. During this session, the state government will present 12 key bills in the House. However, just before the session, the state government faced criticism over its three-language policy, which led to the withdrawal of two government orders (GRs) making Hindi mandatory.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis informed in a press conference on Sunday that following the controversy over making Hindi mandatory from first to fifth grade, the government has constituted a high-level committee, which will be headed by educationist Dr. Narendra Jadhav. This committee will review the three-language formula and give suggestions keeping in mind the interests of the students.
Report to be Prepared on Three-Language Policy
Chief Minister Fadnavis clarified that until the committee's report is received, both the government orders issued regarding the Hindi language will remain canceled. He said that consultations will be held with experts on the three-language formula and no pressure will be put on the students. The committee constituted under the chairmanship of Dr. Narendra Jadhav will not only review the language policy, but also consider upcoming educational reforms such as the Academic Bank of Credit.
12 Bills and 6 Ordinances to be Presented in the Session
Before the start of the monsoon session, Chief Minister Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar jointly addressed the media at Sahyadri Guest House. Fadnavis said that the government is ready to discuss the issues related to the public with full seriousness. During the session, 12 bills and 6 ordinances will be brought in the House. In addition, a pending bill and a proposal prepared by a joint committee are also proposed to be discussed.
Focus will also be on Development and Farmers
The Chief Minister informed that the state government has signed investment proposals worth around Rs 20 lakh crore in Davos so far, of which 70 to 80 percent have already started. At the same time, he clarified that Marathi is already compulsory in the state and there is no new compulsion regarding Hindi.
Fadnavis said that the rainfall situation in the state has been better in June and sowing is going smoothly. Adequate availability of seeds and fertilizers has been ensured for the farmers, while complaints received in some districts are being resolved.
Emphasis on Women Empowerment and Transparency
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar informed about the sanction of Rs 3600 crore to women as the next installment under the 'Ladki Bahin' scheme. This amount will be sent to the beneficiaries' accounts from Tuesday. He also said that all the bills will be discussed extensively during the session and no proposal will be passed without deliberation.
Ajit Pawar also clarified that the MLAs will get full time to raise issues related to their constituencies. The government will ensure that not a single minute of the House proceedings is wasted.
Survey of Damage Due to Excessive Rainfall Underway
There are also reports of damage in some parts of the state due to rain. Deputy Chief Minister Pawar said that the District Collectors have been instructed to conduct a panchnama (assessment) of the damage. He assured that the state government will stand with the farmers, i.e., Baliraja, in every situation.
This monsoon session of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly is going to be important in many ways. On the one hand, the government is showing a positive attitude on issues like investment, education, and women empowerment, while on the other hand, the opposition over the three-language policy has made it more cautious about policy decisions. Now it remains to be seen how the bills passed in this session will affect the direction and condition of the state.
