Many prominent figures, including Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and the state’s Energy Minister, attended the Energy Summit organized by Bharat Express News Network. The network’s Chairman, CMD, and Editor-in-Chief Upendrra Rai met with Deputy CM Fadnavis during the summit.
Upendrra Rai expressed his gratitude to Devendra Fadnavis by presenting a bouquet. Following this gesture, the two engaged in a discussion about significant issues, with Fadnavis elaborating on his government’s development work in Maharashtra. He likened himself to the modern-day Abhimanyu, a warrior from the Mahabharata.
In his address, Upendrra Rai praised Fadnavis, reciting lines of poetry: “Thousands of thunderbolts may fall, thousands of storms may rise, but those flowers will bloom which are going to bloom.” He also quoted the poet Allama Iqbal: “For thousands of years, the narcissus cries over its lack of light. It is with great difficulty that a visionary is born in the garden.”
Questioning Fadnavis, Upendrra Rai asked about the initiatives and challenges faced during his tenure as Chief Minister in 2014. He mentioned the ongoing coastal road project, the bullet train project facing hurdles, and the stalled nuclear plant project for electricity.
Fadnavis responded, “Today we are seeing an energetic India, which started in 2014. I became the Chief Minister of Maharashtra in 2014. The transformation that we are seeing today is not solely my idea. These concepts were conceived long ago, but nobody could implement them.”
Fadnavis highlighted the Atal Setu near Mumbai, noting, “The idea of the 22-kilometer-long Atal Setu originated during Nehru’s era, with its blueprint prepared by JRD Tata. There were many hurdles, and we fought for it till the Supreme Court.” He emphasized, “Our government brought the Atal Setu from paper to reality, costing over Rs 17,000 crore and using 17 times more steel than the Eiffel Tower.”
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Discussing energy projects, Fadnavis said, “We have created the first farmer energy company in the country and built 22 km of coastal road in 5 years. A network of roads has been laid across the state, including Mumbai.” He added, “Maharashtra is producing 30,000 megawatts of electricity today. Our plan aims to save Rs 10,000 crore in power purchases. To make the state a $1 trillion economy, an additional 8,000 megawatts of electricity will be needed. We are connecting the agriculture sector with solar energy and initiating green hydrogen projects.”
Referring to himself as the modern Abhimanyu, Fadnavis asserted, “I know how to break the chakra and also how to break it,” while mentioning Uddhav Thackeray’s alliance with Congress to become Chief Minister. He also highlighted improvements in the state’s security system, contrasting it with the previous era when industrialists felt compelled to relocate due to security concerns.
