Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar was on Tuesday appointed as Guardian Minister for Pune and Beed districts.
The General Administration Department has officially issued a government resolution regarding this appointment. Late Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was the Guardian Minister of Pune and Beed districts.
Following the passing of Ajit Pawar in an air crash recently, his widow, Sunetra Pawar, accepted the responsibility by taking oath as Deputy Chief Minister. She was allocated the departments of excise, sports and youth welfare and minority welfare held by her late husband except for the finance and planning departments held by Ajit Pawar.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis now holds these departments and he is expected to present the annual budget for 2026-27 during the Budget Session starting from February 23.
The swearing-in ceremony took place on Saturday, the fourth day after Ajit Pawar’s demise.
While some criticised the haste in conducting the ceremony, many supported it.
Today, NCP Working President Praful Patel offered a clarification, stating that since the family completed all post-death rituals (Dashkriya Vidhi) on the third day, Sunetra Pawar took oath on the fourth day.
Furthermore, some party legislators and presidents of 30 cells have demanded that Sunetra Pawar be given the responsibility of the National President of the NCP.
Ajit Pawar had been proactive in taking decisions with regard to a slew of development projects in Pune district and he was also instrumental in their launch.
Sunetra Pawar as Pune Guardian Minister will have to complete the projects cleared by Ajit Pawar in the District Planning Council and propose new ones in the coming period.
Ajit Pawar also took the responsibility of Beed Guardian Minister after the incumbent Dhananjay Munde resigned in the wake of a controversy over the killing of Massajog Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh.
In his few months as the Guardian Minister of Beed, Ajit Pawar focussed on restoring law and order and give a push for a number of development projects there.
Sunetra Pawar will have to personally supervise the works undertaken by the district administration and ensure their timely completion.
(IANS)
