Maharashtra: Will urge CM Shinde to change name of Ahmednagar to 'Ahilyanagar', says Fadnavis

Devendra Fadnavis. File Pic

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said that he will urge state Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to change the name of Ahmednagar city to 'Ahilyanagar', reported the PTI.

Fadnavis, Shinde and many state ministers were present in Ahmednagar to attend an event on the death anniversary of Ahilyabai Holkar, the Holkar Queen of the Maratha Malwa kingdom who is known for building temples and 'dharamashalas' (public rest houses), throughout India, according to the PTI.

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If Rajamata Ahilyadevi Holkar weren't there, Kashi wouldn't have remained. If she wasn't there, we wouldn't have temples of Lord Shiva. That's why people want Ahmednagar renamed Ahilyanagar. I am also going to request CM Eknath Shinde about the same, he said, as per the PTI.

The deputy CM called the ruling alliance of BJP and Shinde-led Shiv Sena a Hindutva government, the news agency reported on Wednesday.

We are the people who chant the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. We have created Sambhajinagar under your (Shinde's) leadership, we have created Dharashiv.

I believe the chief minister is 'mawala' (soldier) of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and thus Nagar (Ahmednagar) will be renamed Ahilyanagar.

The Union home ministry in February approved a proposal by the Maharashtra government to change the names of Aurangabad and Osmanabad cities to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Dharashiv respectively.

Meanwhile, Fadnavis on Wednesday claimed that the cost of Nilwande dam in Ahmednagar district ballooned from Rs 8 crore to Rs 5,177 crore due to delays, according to the PTI.

He was speaking after water was released from the dam on a trial basis.

Speaking at the same function, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said farmers had to wait for 53 years to get water from the project. It will prove to be a lifeline for parched areas of Ahmednagar and Nashik districts, he added.

Nilwande dam has a history. The initial cost of the project was Rs 8 crore, but today the cost of the project is Rs 5,177 crore, Fadnavis said in his speech.

In 2017 (when Fadnavis was the chief minister), the project got a revised administrative approval for Rs 2,500 crore, he noted.

After Ghosekhurd project, Nilwande has the highest monetary allocation, which means the remaining work of the dam will not stop, the deputy CM added.

CM Shinde, meanwhile, assured that the farmers whose land was acquired for the project will get due compensation.

(with PTI inputs)