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‘The Hindu is another name for trust,’ says Eknath Shinde
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The Hindu’s Editor Suresh Nambath, Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, and Chief of Bureau Vinaya Deshpande during The Hindu’s Maharashtra Infrastructure Conclave 2026 at Taj President in Mumbai on May 22, 2026. | ”He also outlined his government’s focus on reducing regional disparities, citing Gadchiroli’s development as equal in priority to Mumbai.Mr. Shinde took part in the session titled ‘Where Maharashtra’s Next Growth Story Takes Shape’ with Vinaya Deshpande, Chief of Bureau, The Hindu, Maharashtra. He praised the publication for its approach to news.“The Hindu, even in an age of sensational news, has managed to maintain its integrity,” Mr. Shinde said. “Bharose ka doosra naam The Hindu hai. Agar main yeh kahoon, toh galat nahi hoga.” Published - May 23, 2026 01:19 am IST
Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde in conversation with Chief of Bureau Vinaya Deshpande during The Hindu’s Maharashtra Infrastructure conclave 2026 at Taj President in Mumbai on May 22, 2026. | Speaking at The Hindu’s flagship ‘Maharashtra Infrastructure Conclave 2026’, he said, “Surjagadh in Gadchiroli is as important to me as Mumbai,” while shedding light on the government’s rehabilitation strategy for Maoist-affected areas.The session, “Mumbai to Surjagadh: Expressway to Prosperity”, was moderated by Vinaya Deshpande, Chief of the Bureau, Maharashtra, The Hindu. In an hour-long conversation, Mr. Shinde spoke on infrastructure, the development of backward districts, and the political landscape in the State.The Mahayuti government’s monthly aid programme, the Ladki Bahin Yojana, will not be halted at any cost, he said, adding that it had given financial independence to poor and marginalised women, giving a boost to the local economy.Rehabilitation steps“The distance between Mumbai and Surjagadh in Gadchiroli district is around 1,000 km. In the last four years, we reduced that distance — not just on the map, but in our hearts,” Mr. Shinde said. Recalling his tenure as Guardian Minister of Gadchiroli during the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, he added, “No one wanted to take responsibility for Gadchiroli. When the government launched its programmes, there was violence.”Mr. Shinde said he spoke directly with the Maoists. “We understood that rehabilitation must be proper, not temporary. That is when many Naxals surrendered,” he said, pointing to a cluster-based development approach covering multiple villages hit by left-wing extremism. “If more development projects are added and people get jobs in Gadchiroli, Maoism will reduce.”The Deputy Chief Minister further said he celebrated Deepavali with security personnel in Gadchiroli despite threats. “Development is not about factories or roads. It is about people. We need to connect with people. Build roads today so dreams can reach tomorrow,” he said, adding that Gadchiroli will get an airport after land acquisition is completed and that the Samruddhi Expressway will bring the district into the mainstream.On politicsWhen asked about speculations on internal tussles within the ruling Mahayuti over the seat-distribution formula for the upcoming Legislative Council elections, he said an understanding will be reached soon. When asked about the expectations of Shiv Sena in the anticipated Cabinet reshuffle at the Centre, he said that the party is an important National Democratic Alliance partner, and does not have any expectations of Ministerial berth.“Shiv Sena does not expect anything from the Cabinet reshuffle. We do not bargain with Prime Minister [Narendra] Modi. Modiji is a leader. We are happy with our ideology.”On the Ladki Bahin Yojana, the Deputy Chief Minister said: “We have given rights to women who have started small financial groups and taken up entrepreneurship. It will not stop.”The event also featured panels on the Kumbh Mela, Mumbai’s expansion, and the maritime sector. Mr. Shinde’s session was the final discussion of the event. Published - May 22, 2026 11:53 pm IST
A worker receives a cash payment as he fills fuel into a vehicle at a petrol pump following the hike in petrol and diesel prices, in Nagpur. File. | Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar and NCP (SP) MLA Jayant Patil cited incidents where a police vehicle sent to search for a missing girl in Nagpur apparently did not have diesel, and attack on a petrol pump worker in Jalgaon over alleged fuel shortage.People in the State were facing a lack of security and fuel shortage, while taxpayer-funded advertising hoardings continued to shine ahead of elections, Mr. Wadettiwar claimed.Amid the ongoing West Asia crisis, the central government has maintained that there is no shortage of petrol, diesel or LPG.Former State minister Patil, in a post on X, said, "In Jalgaon, some unidentified persons stabbed a petrol pump worker in the stomach after being told there was no petrol. In Buldhana district, people stood in queues for 12 hours hoping to get petrol." At Washim Naka, there were fights over petrol and diesel. In Nagpur, police do not have diesel (for their vehicles) to search for a missing girl, the former State NCP (SP) chief claimed."What exactly is going on? Has even the oil in the engines of the double-engine government run out?" Mr. Patil asked.The ruling alliance commonly uses the term ‘double-engine government’ to describe its party being in power simultaneously at the Centre and in a State.Referring to the incidents mentioned by Mr. Patil, Mr. Wadettiwar claimed Maharashtra was facing a complete administrative breakdown amid the ongoing fuel shortage, and that the BJP-led "triple-engine government" (referring to its rule at the Centre, in the state and local bodies) had come to a standstill.A petrol pump employee was attacked over fuel in Jalgaon, a man was left stranded in the scorching sun for 12 hours in Buldhana, and in Akola, a common citizen risked his life to obtain fuel, he said in a post on X."The worst part is that in Nagpur, even a police vehicle sent to search for a missing girl did not have diesel," he said.Mr. Wadettiwar said the situation exposed what he described as the hollowness of the BJP's claims of building a "Viksit Bharat" (Developed India)."For years, they have boasted about a double-engine government, but today not even one engine is functioning," he quipped."Ordinary people are struggling for every drop of petrol and for their right to live, while the rulers in Delhi are busy singing false praises of 'Amrit Kaal'," he charged.Today, Maharashtra has no government; what remains is only a marketplace of advertisements," Mr. Wadettiwar said, accusing those in power of ignoring public anger and distress. Published - May 20, 2026 01:33 pm IST
Representational file image. | According to the Maharashtra wetlands dashboard maintained by the NCSCM data, Chattrapati Sambhaji Nagar and Nagpur division has the highest wetlands in Maharashtra, with 5,196 and 5,086 wetlands respectively. The Ahmednagar district has the highest number of wetlands in the State at 1,596, followed by Nashik with 1,236 and Chandrapur which has 1,231. The wetlands documented also includes 247 in Thane, 1,093 in Raigad, 37 in Mumbai city and 210 in Mumbai suburban districts.Maharashtra government tasked NCSCM, functioning under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to do satellite mapping, documentation and field verification of wetlands identified under the National Wetlands Inventory and Assessment launched by the Centre nearly two decades ago.Ground-truthing for 11 wetlands located in Pune among the 2,3415 is remaining. Ground-truthing means the process of physical verification of wetlands on site to confirm their existence, boundaries, ecological condition and present land use against satellite imagery — a crucial step before wetlands can be officially notified under environmental protection laws.The wetlands play role in flood buffering, groundwater recharge, carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation. They also act as natural sponges during extreme rainfall events — a role that has become increasingly important amid changing climate patterns and recurring urban floods.The MoEFCC launched the decadal-change version of the National Wetland Atlas in 2020 to track changes in wetlands over time, but Maharashtra’s ground-truthing exercise continued to lag for years thereafter. The Maharashtra exercise gathered momentum following legal interventions by Vanashakti and subsequent Supreme Court directions asking States and Union Territories to complete wetland demarcation and verification in a time-bound manner.According to the Environmental groups, it is a critical step as this will prevent wetlands, which are not officially notified from becoming a dumping yard. The un-notified wetlands are treated as reclamation, debris dumping, encroachments and destruction in the name of infrastructure development.“This process should not have taken 16 years after the National Wetland Atlas was launched,” said B.N. Kumar, director of NatConnect Foundation. He also pointed out that the prolonged delay has already caused considerable damage to Maharashtra’s wetland ecosystem, particularly in biodiversity-rich areas of Uran and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. “The burial of wetlands in Uran has already triggered unseasonal flooding and compensation payouts worth crores from taxpayers’ money. This could have been avoided had the authorities acted in time to preserve these natural drainage systems,“ said Nandakumar Pawar, director of Sagarshakti. Published - May 20, 2026 10:25 am IST
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