Baramati: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar admitted on Sunday that some ministers are unhappy with the recently announced portfolio allocation. Speaking at an event in his constituency, he attributed the discontent to the large size of the state Cabinet and the limited number of portfolios available.
Pawar retained the Finance and Planning portfolio and announced that he would officially take charge on Monday. He assured that work on pending projects, stalled due to the model code of conduct during the November 20 Maharashtra Assembly elections, would resume shortly.
Highlighting the Cabinet composition, Pawar noted that six ministers hold the rank of minister of state, while the remaining 36 are cabinet ministers. "Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had to allocate portfolios to all ministers. Naturally, some are satisfied, while others are not," he remarked.
He also revealed that the Maharashtra legislature’s budget session is scheduled to begin on March 3, adding that he intends to collaborate with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in preparing the state budget.
The portfolio allocation saw Fadnavis retaining crucial departments such as Home, Energy, Law and Judiciary, General Administration, and Information and Publicity. Shinde was given Urban Development, Housing, and Public Works (Public Enterprises), while Pawar took charge of Finance, Planning, and State Excise.
Ministers have begun visiting their constituencies to address pending projects, Pawar said, reiterating that all pending works would be completed in due course.
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Shivamogga: A leopard was killed after being hit by a motorcycle near Mandagadde in Thirthahalli taluk of Shivamogga district.
According to reports, the biker was travelling from Shivamogga towards Thirthahalli when the leopard suddenly came onto the road from a nearby forest area near Mandagadde. The rider is said to have lost control of the bike and crashed into the animal.
The leopard suffered severe injuries in the impact and died on the spot. The biker also fell onto the road along with the motorcycle and sustained serious injuries. He was shifted to a hospital in Shivamogga for further treatment.
After receiving information about the incident, forest department officials, including Gajanur RFO Vinay Kumar, visited the spot and conducted an inspection.
