Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jan 11 (PTI) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday slammed Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, without taking his name, by stating that a man who did not come out of his house during his tenure as chief minister was now talking about what he has done and what he would have done had he remained on the post.

The former chief minister should sit home and write essays, Fadnavis said.

Also Read | Rajasthan Road Accident Video: Two Killed, 20 Students Injured As School Bus Rams Into Truck in Pali District.

"Sometimes we have to write essays on what if I was a bird, what if I was a cricketer etc. There is a person in this state who says I have done this, I would have done this if I was chief minister. He did not come out of his house when he was CM for two-and-half-years," Fadnavis said in a swipe at Thackeray.

"He should just sit home and write essays. We will serve the people," said Fadnavis, who was here for the ground breaking ceremony of Gangapur lift irrigation project in Arapur here.

Also Read | Budget 2024: Parliament Budget Session 2024 Likely Between January 31 and February 9.

The project will bring 25,000 hectares of land in 40 villages under irrigation, with water being supplied through drip, making it the only project of its type, Fadnavis said.

"The project was sanctioned in September 2023 and we had resolved to start work on it by January. Funds have been made available. We will also sanction a solar power plant to provide electricity for this project," the Deputy CM said.

A total of Rs 5,000 crores has been sanctioned for irrigation projects in the last 18 months, he said, adding water from the Krishna river valley will come to Marathwada in 18 months.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)