Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance, in Common Minimum Programme for Maharashtra, vows to uphold secular values and promises farm loan waiver

The newly-formed Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi ’s Common Minimum Programme — released ahead of the swearing-in of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on Thursday — promises a farm loan waiver and an initiative to fill all vacant posts in the state government. Significantly, the very first sentence of the document states, “The alliance partners commit to uphold the secular values enshrined in the Constitution.” The Common Minimum Programme (CMP) promises immediate assistance to farmers affected by premature rains and floods. This is related to a demand earlier raised by the Shiv Sena’s Aaditya Thackeray, who had asked Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to declare a ‘wet drought’ owing to unseasonal rain in various parts.

Common Minimum Program of 'Maha Vikas Aghadi' (NCP-Congress-Shiv Sena alliance). pic.twitter.com/2qw2ECwRkU

— ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2019

The CMP also states that an immediate farm loan waiver will be granted. During Devendra Fadnavis’ tenure as chief minister, Opposition parties had frequently criticised the implementation of the farm loan waiver scheme, and condemned the delays in ensuring relief for farmers. Among other prominent promises made in the document are education loans at zero percent interest rate for children of farm labourers and students belonging to economically-weaker sections, a law to ensure 80 percent job to locals and the setting up of “One Rupee Clinics” at the taluka level. The alliance partners have also said that they will “solve the pending questions of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes, Dhangars, Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Balutadars, etc.” However, the document is silent on the question of giving ST status to Dhangars, a long-pending demand of the community. Follow live updates on Maharashtra govt formation here The document also states that the government will provide full meals for Rs 10, a promise made by the Shiv Sena during its Assembly poll campaign. Maharashtra will have a chief minister from the Shiv Sena after 20 years, with party chief Uddhav Thackeray set to take oath of the top post. Thackeray, 59, will be sworn in as the chief minister in  an evening ceremony at the sprawling Shivaji Park, where his father and Sena founder Bal Thackeray addressed his famous Dussehra rallies. The last Sena man to occupy the chief minister’s chair was Narayan Rane in 1999, after Manohar Joshi, who in 1995 became the first Sena chief minister. Thursday’s swearing-in ceremony follows days of dramatic political developments, which included a three-day government formed by unexpected support from NCP leader Ajit Pawar, who has since returned to the Sharad Pawar-led party fold. With inputs from PTI