MAHARASHTRA CABINET FIRST YEAR REPORT …. Ranjit Patil / Pravin Pote Patil 49 05 10 12 14 16 18 20...

MAHARASHTRA CABINET � FIRST YEAR REPORT CARD � ROLE OF DGIPR MEDIUMS � FLAGSHIP SCHEMES

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FULFILMENT OF COMMITMENT

(Top) Prime Minister Narendra Modi performing the bhoomipujan of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Memorial to be constructed at Indu Mills in Mumbai in the presence of Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Cabinet Ministers of Maharashtra and seniorGovernment officials. (Bottom) Concept design of the grand memorial of Bharat Ratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar to be set up in Mumbai

Chief Minister DevendraFadnavis after takingthe reins had promised

the people of State to buildan international memorial ofBharat Ratna Dr. BabasahebAmbedkar on the land ofIndu Mills. Before thecompletion of one year, theChief Minister was successful

in acquiring the land for themonument. Prime MinisterNarendra Modi performedthe bhoomipujan forthe project on October 11.

Speaking at thefoundation-laying ceremony,the Prime Minister said,Panchteerth (five sitesassociated with Bharat Ratna

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’slife) should becomeinspiration for those workingfor social equality. Hesuggested that the visitors tothe site should plant one treebrought from their village.This way, 40,000 villages willbe connected to the place.

The Prime Minister added

that the memorial should befilled with trees and becomean oasis of peace andtranquility. Appreciating therole of the MaharashtraGovernment, he said that it ishelping preserve the Londonhouse, where Bharat RatnaDr. Babasaheb Ambedkarlived, and the Panchteerth.

CONTENTSWHAT’S INSIDE

D I S C L A I M E R : V I E W S A N D O P I N I O N S E X P R E S S E D I N T H E M A G A Z I N E A R E T H O S E O F W R I T E R S

MAHARASHTRA AHEAD � NOVEMBER 2015 03

05INTERVIEWCHIEF MINISTERChief Minister Devendra Fadnaviscompletes one year in the office.In the first year, he marchedforward relentlessly, braving thechallenges of the State andpursuing its many dreams

07MILESTONESPRO-PEOPLE,PROACTIVEIn past 12 months, Governmentof Maharashtra lookedat progress differently,ushering in smart decisionsand new initiatives

52INFORMATION EXCHANGEFROM GOVERNMENTTO PEOPLEPast year’s journey for DGIPRhas been memorable, as itschannels worked round the clockwith the new Government totake ahead its many endeavours

55HIGHLIGHTSGAME CHANGERSThe State witnessed the launchof many welfare schemesand people-friendly initiativesin past one year. We lookat the most importantand successful programmes

COLUMNSCABINET MINISTERS

Eknath Khadse 10

Subhash Desai 12

Sudhir Mungantiwar 14

Diwakar Raote 16

Vinod Tawde 18

Ramdas Kadam 20

Prakash Mehta 22

Eknath Shinde 24

Chandrakant Dada Patil 26

Dr. Deepak Sawant 28

Smt. Pankaja Munde 30

Vishnu Savra 32

Girish Bapat 34

Girish Mahajan 36

Chandrashekhar Bawankule 38

Babanrao Lonikar 40

Rajkumar Badole 42

STATE MINISTERS

Dilip Kamble / Sanjay Rathod 44

Smt. Vidya Thakur / Dadaji Bhuse 45

Prof. Ram Shinde / Vijay Shivtare 46

Vijay Deshmukh / Deepak Kesarkar 47

Raje Ambrishrao Atram / Ravindra Waykar 48

Dr. Ranjit Patil / Pravin Pote Patil 49

05 10 12 14 16

18 20 22 24 26

28 30 32 34 36

38 40 42 44 44

45 45 46 46 47

47 48 48 49 49

VOL. 4 ISSUE 11 � NOVEMBER 2015 � `50 � PAGES 60

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFManisha Patankar-Mhaiskar

MANAGING EDITORChandrashekhar Oak

ASSIGNMENT EDITORDevendra Bhujbal

EDITORKirti Pande

EXECUTIVE EDITORKriti Lalla

TEAM CO-ORDINATIONEDITING

Suresh Wandile(Deputy Director)

ADMINISTRATIONDigamber Palve

(Sr. Assistant Director)

SALES AND CIRCULATIONAshwini Pujari

(Sub-Editor)

MEDIA TRANSASIAASSOCIATE EDITOR

Jyoti Verma

ASSISTANT EDITORPallavi Singh

DEPUTY ART DIRECTORSachin Jain

CHAIRMANJ.S. Uberoi

PRESIDENTXavier Collaco

Maharashtra Ahead is printedon behalf of the Directorate Generalof Information and Public Relations,

Government of Maharashtra,at KALA JYOTHI PROCESS PVT. LTD.

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Letters should be addressed toDirectorate General of Information

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17th Floor, Opposite Mantralaya,Mumbai-400032.

Email:maharashtraahead.dgipr @gmail.com

Please visit the websitehttp://dgipr.maharashtra.gov.in

Directorate General of Informationand Public Relations

A Government of Maharashtra Production

Directorate General of Informationand Public Relations,

Government of Maharashtra

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

On October 31 this year, the Government led by Chief Minister DevendraFadnavis turns one. A busy year for the Government, it witnessedMaharashtra entering a new era of governance driven by competent,people-oriented growth, transparent and pro-active administration. The

mission of transforming the State led the Government launch ambitious schemes andgo for innovative decisions. The mega development programmes such as JalyuktaShivar Yojana, Make in Maharashtra, Swachh Maharashtra Abhiyan, Aaple Sarkarand Right to Services Act are now being effectively implemented in the State.

During the last year, the Chief Minister put special emphasis on the implementationof Jalyukta Shivar Yojana. Currently active in 6,200 villages of the State,the flagship scheme has successfully managed 24.59 TMC water that can irrigate6 lakh ha agriculture land. With traditional methods, the scheme would havecost `13,000 crore, but with the participation of people, the State managed theresult in mere `1,400 crore.

Under industrial development and investment, the State Government launched theambitious Make in Maharashtraproject, which has so far broughtMaharashtra an investmentof `1 lakh crore from globalcorporate giants and employmentopportunities for one lakh people.The other major projects includeSmart City, metro rails in Mumbai,Nagpur and Pune, a coastal roadand Nagpur–Mumbai Expressway.

Prime Minister Narendra Modivisited Maharashtra to lay thefoundation of the memorial ofBharat Ratna Dr. BabasahebAmbedkar at Indu Mills, Mumbai.Speaking on the occasion, the PrimeMinister said that the fivelandmarks associated with the lifeof Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, i.e. his

birthplace at Mahu in Madhya Pradesh, a house in Delhi which witnessed the legendworking on the draft of Indian Constitution, his family’s house at Ambegaon inRatnagiri district, international memorial at Indu Mills and the house in Londonwhere he stayed during his stint at the London School of Economics will bedeveloped as Panchteerth. Indeed, it is a matter of pride for the State.

The November issue carries the status and relevant information of various welfareschemes, decisions and welfare programmes launched by the Government duringpast one year. With its various channels, Lokrajya, Maharashtra Ahead, UrduLokrajya, Mahanews, Dilkhulas and Jai Maharashtra, Directorate General ofInformation and Public Relations effectively disseminated the information to people.

We welcome your feedback and suggestions.

Manisha Patankar-MhaiskarEditor-in-Chief, Maharashtra Ahead, DGIPR

THE ERA OFGOOD GOVERNANCE

Q. What would you call your Government’s biggestsuccess in the last year?A. It is undoubtedly Jalyukta Shivar Yojana, which we haveimplemented in 6,200 villages within eight months. So far, wehave managed to store 24 TMC water that can bring around 6lakh hectares under irrigation. If we had followed earlierGovernment’s method, it would have cost us ̀ 13,000 crore andtaken three years. With the flagship scheme, we achieved thesame result in `1,400 crore, of which `300 crore came frompeople’s contribution. We managed to mobilise people and

turned the programme into a people’s movement.Every year, we will add 5,000 villages to the programme,

and this will largely solve the water problems in drought-proneregions of the State. It will not only turn Maharashtra’snegative agricultural growth into positive, but will also makeour farmers prosperous. Jalpurush Rajendra Singh too recentlypraised it at Stockholm water conference, saying it is sure to

transform lives.

Q. Right to Services Act is animportant milestone of the Gover -nment, if well imple mented.A. Yes, I am confident it will work.From Gram Panchayat to MunicipalCorporations, all Government bodieswill be brought under Right toServices (RTS). There are total 243notified services of which only 46services are online at the moment.Soon all the services will be underRTS. If their work is not done in astipulated time frame, officers will befined or suspended.

Q. Which is your dream projectfor Mumbai?A. There can’t be only one! We aregoing to develop a network of metros

in Mumbai. When MMRDA presented a plan for Metro, it wasfor 2022. So, I personally met Delhi Metro Rail Corporation(DMRC), understood the working of metro rails and madeanother plan with their help. We made Development PlanReport of two new metro lines in two months flat. They will beready by 2019 and we are already working on DPRs of twomore metros. We want at least one metro passing througheach ward of Mumbai. Then, there is a coastal road, trans-harbour link which will turn Mumbai into a vibrant city witha house and employment for everyone.

Dreams don’t work unless you do and Chief Minister DDeevveennddrraa FFaaddnnaavviiss personifies the adage the best.As he completes a year in office, he comes closer to his dream of making Maharashtra the topmostState in the country. Many long-pending projects have seen light of the day, while many new ones will belaunched. Read on about the year that was and the future that will in words of the Chief Minister

II NN TT EE RR VV II EE WW // C H I E F M I N I S T E R


“We havemanagedto store 24 TMCwater that canbring around6 lakh hectare ofland underirrigation. Everyyear we will add5,000 villages tothe programmeto solve waterproblems

’’

“Maharashtra is on thepath of speedy transformation”

MILESTONESCHIEF MINISTER

06 MAHARASHTRA AHEAD � NOVEMBER 2015

which 50 per cent comes from India and 60 per cent of thatcomes from Mumbai. We are taking the help of leadingfinancial experts like Anshu Jain (former co-CEO of DeutschBank) and SBI Chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya; ReserveBank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan has agreed to help us.

Q. How is the business environment in Maharashtra?A. Very positive. If you refer to business publications, you willsee Maharashtra projected as the top investment destination inthe country. As a result of my foreign visits, I have managed tobring in an investment of more than `66,000 crore and

employment for one lakh people.Today, global giants are vying toinvest in India, thanks to PrimeMinister’s efforts. In Maharashtra,we have reduced a number ofpermissions for starting a newbusiness to 37 from 74. Bigcompanies like Foxconn, GeneralMotors and Posco are going to investhere and companies from Japan andGermany have shown a keen interesttoo. But, we also want to encourageour indigenous SME sector. InAurangabad, Beed, Parabhani, weare creating small industrial clustersthat will boost businesses.

Q. Will toll-free Maharashtraever come true?It almost has! We have exemptedlight vehicles from toll tax in theState. Now there are only two tolltaxes, which were part of lastGovernment’s contract that left nobuy-back option with the developers.Yet, we are trying to find a way out.In Kolhapur, there is a discrepancyin valuation; projects of `200 crore

are valued at ̀ 500 crore, which means we have to re-evaluateor even take a legal recourse. There is a need for transparentworking of Kolhapur municipality. But we are confident thatwe will sail through the challenges and make Maharashtra toll-free, which was the dream of Late Gopinath Mundeji.

Q. As Home Minister, what decisions have you taken?A. We have to stand by the people who work for society, and thepolice. I hiked the allowance of the cops if they work on holidaysfrom ̀ 60 to ̀ 450-950 as per their grades. We have given them4 FSI for their housing. Maharashtra is the first State in thecountry to have all police stations online. In one year, the rateof conviction has gone up to 42 per cent. I am sure, we will makeMaharashtra Police No. 1 and, of course, the State too.

—Compiled by Mrudula Varaskar

Q. Talking of houses in Mumbai, the real estate rateshave risen sharply. How will a common man get a house?A. It is precisely the reason we are bringing a huge stock ofaffordable houses in the market—to lead to correction. We aredesigning a new housing policy, which we will declare soon.

Q. Are any plans on making Mumbai a finance hub?We are planning to start an international financial servicecentre (IFC) in Bandra–Kurla Complex (BKC) that will have aninternational arbitration centre, like the one in Singapore. Atthe moment, Singapore hosts most of the arbitration work of

M

“As a result ofmy foreign visits,I have managedto bring in aninvestment ofmore than`66,000 croreand employmentfor one lakhpeople. Today,global giantsare vying toinvest in India Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis greets US President Barack Obama in

New Delhi on the occasion of Republic Day

n

MILESTONESCHIEF MINISTER

T

OO NN CC HH II EE FF MM II NN II SS TT EE RR ’’ SS RR AA DD AA RR�� PPUUNNEE• An elevated metro• Development Plan of Puneready, awaiting a DCR.

�� NNAASSHHIIKK• Nashik-Pune four-laneroad underway• Mumbai-Ahmedabadbullet train via Nashik

�� NNAAGGPPUURR• A new metro• IIM & Ayurvedic university• MIHAN project• Mumbai-Nagpur bullettrain• A textile hub in Amravati,near Nagpur

�� KKOONNKKAANN• Land acquisition processnear completion for asea-world project• Five-star hotel on MIDC land• First mango-processingplant by Jain Group• Improving connectivityvia ports under Sagarmalaproject

�� NNOORRTTHH MMAAHHAARRAASSHHTTRRAA• National Institute ofArchitecure and Design inAurangabad• An industrial cluster atShendra-Bidkin: severalsmall clusters in Parbhani,Beed and Aurangabad

’’

I


n the occasion of the completion of a year inoffice by the Government led by Chief MinisterDevendra Fadnavis, while reflecting on thework of his Government, the Chief Ministerwould proudly speak of the Jalyukta ShivarAbhiyan, which aims at permanently resolving

the problems of the farmers.Not satisfied at the spending of crores of rupees as aid to the

farmers year after year or the writing off of their loans, which hefelt benefited the banks rather than solving the problems of thefarmers, Chief Minister conceptualised this scheme while

heading the CM Transformation Committee. The schemefocuses on development of watersheds, improvement of ground -water levels, and increasing the area under irrigation and greencover by planting of more trees. The scheme has been necessi -tated due to drought over the last several years in certain partsof the State and the continuous reduction in rainfall in someregions. Also, due to excessive tapping, the groundwater level inseveral talukas has receded by three to four metres.

The thrust of the scheme is to decentralise the waterresources. Committees have been established in districts anddivisions for the purpose. Though the State has estimated a total

O

Pro-people, proactive

MILESTONESFIRST YEAR OF GOVERNMENT

(Clockwise from top) Waghad Dam in Nashik, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visits Gosikhurd Irrigation Project at Gondia, the Chief Minister and RuralDevelopment Minister Pankaja Munde on a tour of drought-affected districts, the Chief Minister invites Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Kumbh Mela, thestatue of Bharat Ratna Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar unveiled at Koyasan University, Japan and Mary Barra, CEO, GM, presents a car model to the Chief Minister

The first year of Government of Maharashtra looked at progress differently,ushering in smart decisions and new initiatives, says AAbbhhaayy MMookkaasshhii

expense of ̀ 5,000 crore for the scheme, it has currently allocated`1,000 crore. Under the scheme, committees have been formedat district, divisions and Water Resource Ministry levels.

On the lines of the Prime Minister’s Make in India,programme, Devendra Fadnavis has launched the Make inMaharashtra programme to invite foreign investment and toencourage foreign manufacturers to set up their manufacturingunits in the State. The Chief Minister accompanied PrimeMinister Narendra Modi to the US and China, and has beensuccessful in getting investment to the State, while more is inthe pipeline. Nearly one lakh jobs are expected to be created dueto this investment. Some of these projects are already underway.

The abolition of local body tax (LBT) has come as a greatrelief to commercial establishments, so is the case with theabolition of octroi and toll in certain areas. As a part ofimprovement of transport facilities in major cities, metroprojects are being set up in Nagpur and Pune and it is beingexpanded in Mumbai. The State will soon see the setting up ofAll India Institute of Medical Sciences in Nagpur and the up-

gradation of the Grant MedicalCollege and Sir J. J. Group ofHospitals, Mumbai on those lines.

The State took the initiative inbuying the premises where Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar stayedwhile studying in London. Thefoundation stone for the memorialto Dr Ambedkar on the IndiaUnited Mills (Indu Mills) has beenlaid by the Prime Minister.

The State is in grave need ofenergy and the Government has

taken several steps to improve the power situation. It has laidemphasis on power generation through non-conventionalsources and has framed a policy. The policy has set a target ofachieving 14,400 MW of installed capacity in a period of fiveyears and attracting an investment of `1 lakh crore.

According to the Chief Minister, the renewable energy

08 MAHARASHTRA AHEAD � NOVEMBER 2015 M

(Clockwise from top) Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis with Schindler EB member Jürgen Tinggren, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders at State/Provincial Leader’s Forum in Beijing, Solapur–Pune Highway, wind power, Mumbai port,banana plantation, Chief Minister at a public distribution centre and Rural Development Minister Pankaja Munde during a village tour

MILESTONESFIRST YEAR OF GOVERNMENT

The StateGovernment hasdecided to spend`25,000 croreover the nextfive years onthe welfare offarmers andto prevent casesof farmer suicides

policy is worth `4,156.43 crore and implementing this policy,the State will get electricity fee of `3,885 crore. Thus,expenditure on its implementation would be only `271.43crore, he said while briefing the media on the policy. The policyaims at achieving the installed capacity of 7,500 MW solarenergy, 5,000 MW of wind energy, 1,000 MW of bagasse-basedco-generation, 400 MW small hydro, and 200 MW of industrialwaste and 300 MW of agriculture waste-based products. Thecurrent installed capacity of renewable energy is 6,700 MW.

Looking at the situation of the farmers due to naturalcalamities, Minister for Revenue and Agriculture EknathKhadse has enhanced the repayment period of their loan fromthree years to five years. The Government has decided to spend`25,000 crore, over the next five years, on the welfare of farmersand to prevent cases of suicide. According to the Minister, thecrop insurance scheme introduced by the Government wouldbenefit nearly 35 lakh farmers. An amount of `1,500 perhectare is also being offered for the cultivation of fodder.

Aprovision of ̀ 34,000 crore has been made for sustainable

e


farming in parched regions ofMarathwada. To make themfood secure, farmers in 14districts are being offeredwheat at `2/kg and rice at`3/kg. Under the scheme 34,000metric tonnes of foodgrains are being distributed per month atthe subsidised price to 68 lakh families of farmers’, with eachfamily getting an average of 20 to 35 kgs of foodgrains permonth. The criterion for compensation to farmers for loss ofcrop due to natural calamity has been reduced from 50 per centto 33 per cent. An amount of ̀ 2,100 crore has been received by55 lakh beneficiary farmers under the agricultural insurance

scheme. A record 72 lakh farmersare expected to enroll themselvesfor the scheme for the kharif seasonof 2015. An amount of `415 crorehas been distributed to 1.37 lakhfarmers as drip irrigation subsidy.The Govern ment has taken aninitiative for distribution of crop loansand `34,100 has been distributed inthe current financial year.

Minister for Rural DevelopmentPankaja Munde has introduced theAmdaar Adarsh Gaon Yojana, onthe lines of the scheme started byPrime Minister Modi, where every

Member of Parliament has to adopt a village for itsdevelopment. The Government aims at developing 1000 villagesin five years, under the scheme. A marketing agency in the nameof Ahilyabai Holkar has been set up to strengthen women’smicro-finance groups, with a provision of ̀ 200 crore.

The Industries Ministry, headed by Subhash Desai hassimplified the procedure for setting up of new industries, byreducing the number of permissions from 67 to 37. In thelast one year, 34 mega projects have been sanctioned, witha consolidated investment of `20,806 crore and creationof 20,204 jobs. Several changes are being brought about in theFood and Civil Supplies Ministry headed by Minister GirishBapat. To avoid misuse, the ration cards are being linked toAadhar card with bio-metric method. In the first phase, 4,500shops in the State have this facility. The Ministry has decidedto come down heavily on those pilfering the stocks of the PDSand selling it in the black market. Such persons would bebrought to justice under MPDA Act. One of the major decisionsof the Public Works Ministry led by Minister ChandrakantDada Patil is the closure of 12 toll collection points and theexemption given to small vehicles, ST buses and school busesat 53 toll collection points.

In the first year, the State Government has taken a fewnoteworthy decisions, made new schemes and initiated newprogrammes. We now look forward to seeing these programmesdeliver fruitful returns.

To help farmersaffected byinsufficient rainsthis year, anamount of`3,400 crore hasbeen depositedin their bankaccounts tocompensate forcrop losses

Leader’s Forum in Beijing, Solapur–Pune Highway, wind power, Mumbai port,b

clearly remember the oath day, October 31,2014. I was given the responsibility of all theimportant portfolios—agriculture, revenue,relief and rehabilitation, animal husbandry,dairy development, fisheries and minorities—that are close to the aspirations of common

people. We created positive schemes for farmers’ welfare.Without waiting for Central assistance, we distributedfunds to the tune of ̀ 4,000 crore and that too directly in thebank accounts of the farmers.

Drought has been declared in 14,708 villages whosepaisewari is less than 50 per cent. School and college fee ofstudents and electricity bill of agricultural pumps have beenwaived off in these villages and electricity connections of theaffected farmers will not be disconnected. The farmers will

also get relaxation in land revenue and deployment oftankers, as per the requirement. The Government has alsodirected the district administration to immediately startcentres to procure cotton, soybean and maize. The closedregional water supply schemes will be restarted for thebenefit of these villages. Currently, some of these schemes arenot in operation due to lack of payment of electricity bills.However, the divisional commissioners and district collectorshave been asked to use the reserve fund to clear dues andrestart their operations.

We started the ambitious Jalyukta Shivar Yojana tosolve the problem of irrigation and bring the farmer out ofdrought situation. Consequently, the period of repayment ofconverted crop loan has been raised from three to five years.A decision has been taken for conversion of crop loans ofdistrict banks just as commercial banks inclusive of interest.Total interest on the converted loans for 2015-16 andinterest at the rate of 6 per cent for next four years will bepaid by the Government.

A mission has been undertaken to provide food security,healthcare services and educational assistance to farmers’children. Vasantrao Naik Swabhiman Sheti Mission has beenestablished to cater to specific needs of 14 suicide-affecteddistricts. Under the Crop Insurance Scheme, around 55 lakhfarmers have been benefitted with a compensation of `2,100crore. A record participation of 72 lakh farmers has beenregistered for kharif 2015. The price of BT cotton packet wasreduced by ̀ 100, which benefitted 50 lakh farmers.

Through the value chain development prog ramme themarketing system will be developed through value chain systemand with participation of private companies. To be implementedin an area of 2 lakh hectares, the programme will directlybenefit 1.50 lakh farmers.

Special efforts have been made for successful imple -mentation of drip irrigation. Grant to the tune of `415 crorehas been disbursed to 1.37 lakh farmers. In addition, all thedelayed bills have been paid even up to 2012-13 as well. TheState stands numero uno in mKisan service, where a total of13.30 lakh farmers had registered till October 2014. Toaccelerate perennial farming through balanced use offertilisers, soil health cards have been distributed. Out of thetargeted 10 lakh samples, 7.3 lakh samples have been takenfor testing and 33,000 soil health cards have been distributed.

To overcome drought, a fodder-producing project usinghydroponic technique has been sanctioned. A fodder-


“Positive schemes for farmers”A multi-pronged approach to help develop the state of farmers through crop insurance, mKisan, soilhealth cards and others has been adopted. Maha Rajaswa Abhiyan is targeted at streamlining theRevenue Department. Welfare of Minorities also holds prime significance

I

MILESTONESSTATE CABINET MINISTER

E K NAT H K H A D S ERevenue, Relief and Rehabilitation, Earthquake Rehabilitation.Minorities Development and Wakf, Agriculture and Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries, State Excise

producing project based on hydroponic technique has beensanctioned ̀ 75 crore. We have taken the lead for helping thefarmers through banks. Under this, during 2014-15, thefarmers have been provided crop loans to the tune of ̀ 34,100crore. Through the apex bank, under the investment loan,`612 crore has been sanctioned as fresh loans. District banksat Nagpur, Wardha and Buldhana have been sanctioned

Government assis tance of ̀ 380crore. Urban and rural non-agricultural co operative creditsocieties have been allowed toprovide agri cultural loans tothe extent of 20 per cent of thetotal loans disbursed. Decision has been taken for payment tosugarcane producers at the fair and remunerative price (FRP)rates. Decision for payment of compensation to the extent offive times for land acquisition has been taken. With the helpof technology, 2,059 centres have been set up for providing up-to-date weather information at taluka level. At 500 villages,a path-breaking project of satellite technology based cropinsurance survey is being implemented. Tourists have beenfacilitated to a great extent with the renovation ofTaraporewala Aquarium. The other important decisionstaken for Fisheries Department include implementing a

token system where fish isunloaded and appointing privatesecurity guards. National GokulGram Yojana is being imple mentedunder the National AnimalHusbandry production project.

Farmer Janata Accident In -surance Scheme has been startedfor providing financial benefit tofarmers and their families in caseof accidents. Maha RajaswaAbhiyan will be implemented formore people-oriented, efficient,speedier and transparent RevenueDepart ment. Camps will beorganised for distribution ofvarious certificates, implementingextended satisfaction scheme,taking final decision on semi-judicial matters and settling thembefore December 2016. Change

Adalat organised at circle headquarters, and E-changes to bemade available in every village by March 2016.

Many decisions have been taken to bring minoritycommunities into the mainstream. Efforts are being made toprovide higher education to children from these communitiesand offer them employment. The State Government providesmaximum scholarship of `25,000 to minority studentsundergoing higher vocational education. A scholarship of`5,000 is given for all courses after std. XII. Various districtsof the State have been provided with girls hostels. Approvalhas been given for teaching Urdu as an optional subject atMarathi medium schools. Provision of `150 crore towardscapital has been made during 2015-16 in comparison to `32crore during 2014-15 for Maulana Azad Minorities FinancialDevelopment Corporation.

—As told to Ajay Jadhav


“

“Specialefforts have beenmade forsuccessful imple -mentation ofdrip irrigation.Grant to thetune of `415crore has beendisbursed to 1.37lakh farmers. Alldelayed billshave been paidup to 2012-13

’’II MM PP OO RR TT AA NN TT DD EE CC II SS II OO NN SS• It has been decided to convert crop loans of district banksjust as commercial banks inclusive of interest. • Around 55 lakh farmers benefited by Crop InsuranceScheme with a compensation of ̀ 2,100 crore.• For perennial farming through balanced use of fertilisers,soil health cards have been distributed. In case of mKisan, tilldate 48 lakh farmers have registered and are gettingweather-based agricultural advisory and information aboutmodern methods of agriculture.• Maha Rajaswa Abhiyan on the anvil for people-oriented,efficient, speedier and transparent Revenue Department.• The State Government provides maximum scholarship of`25,000 to minority students undergoing higher vocationaleducation.

(From top) Minister Eknath Khadse overseeing the works in the area of agricultureand irrigation and giving certificate to a minority student in the State

t is commonly said that Maharashtra is theindustrial development engine for the Nation.With Mumbai identified as the financial capital ofIndia, Maharashtra has always been in theforefront in terms of business. Special efforts havebeen made by the Government during past one

year to achieve balanced industrial development and accelerateemployment generation through foreign direct investment(FDI) in the State. We have taken up the concept of Make inMaharashtra on the lines of Make in India, and to implementthe same and bring industrial expansion to Maharashtra, wehave taken various measures.

Under Make in Maharashtra, we have participated invarious trade conferences across the globe and met potentialinvestors. The major trade meetings include the 45thAnnual Conference of World Economic Forum at Davos,

Switzerland, Hannover MESSE 2015 in Germany, and ourdelegations to China and Japan. The tours have broughthuge investments to the State.

Out of the total FDI in India, 30 per cent comes to Maha -rashtra. The State has a 30 per cent share in total exports fromIndia. State’s contribution to India’s GDP is 15 per cent. To takethis to the next level, the State Government has taken theinitiative of building an industry-friendly environment andmake available skill-based employment. A major step has beenin the direction of skill development. We are constantly strivingto achieve ease of doing business in the State.

Easy and accelerated process is the mantra of industrialgrowth. We have achieved this acceleration for industriali -sation by reducing the number of total permissions required fora company to begin operations. The number of permissions hascome down to 37 from 67. On September 30, Maharashtra washonoured with five awards by Institute of Competitivenessand business newspaper Mint (Hindustan Times Group) inNew Delhi. Maharashtra was declared numero uno inindustrial sector for creation of industry-friendly environmentin the country and implementation of innovative concepts.

The State attracted FDI on a large scale. To increaseexports from Maharashtra, the General Motors facility atTalegaon in Pune will be expanded. GM’s Talegaon plant hasa capacity to manufacture 1,70,000 units annually and it hasinvested `4,300 crore to produce a range of cars, including theBeat, Sail and Spark. Employment for 1,000 persons hasbeen made available through this project. Apart from this, aninvestment of around $200 million has been made formanufacturing powerful engines for 1.6 lakh units. Thiscapacity can go up to 3 lakh units of engine, makingemployment available to 1,400 persons.

A memorandum of understanding has been signed withFoxconn, an eminent manufacturer of digital electronicsequipment, for investment in Maharashtra. The companywill invest around `35,000 crore during the next five years.This will lead to 50,000 new employment opportunities. WithGM’s present investment and integrated investments fromcompanies such as Mercedes, Volkswagen, Mahindra andMahindra, Tata Motors, Skoda and others, Maharashtra isnow a strong base of vehicle manufacturing sector.

This year, Maharashtra participated in global industrialmeet, Hannover MESSE 2015. During the meet, Boschagreed to impart training at all Industrial Training Institutesin Maharashtra and offer jobs to trained youth. Bosch, a


“Most industry-friendly State”The Government is working industriously to make the dream of Make in Maharashtra a reality.The success of State’s manufacturing mission can only give wings to India’s ambitious Make in Indiaprogramme and establish the country as the best place to manufacture in the world

p

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S U B H AS H D E SA IIndustries

German company, manufactures implements for engineeringindustries. It has plants at Nashik and Pune. Americanmultinational, Cisco, into networking, has offered help for theSmart City Project. Microsoft too has launched two of its datacentres in Mumbai and Pune. These two are out of the totalthree planned by the company in India. The data centres willbe useful from the point of view of cyber safety. Digitalservices are essential for making Mumbai more advanced,and the data centres will help the objective.

To provide all permissions to set up an industry within amonth, an empowered group of officers has been appointedby the State Government. Information technology and IT-related Services Policy 2015 has been announced. Theexpected investment in the IT sector is around ̀ 50,000 croreand the target for employment generation is 10 lakh.

To accelerate small industries and ease business, animportant decision has been taken to modify the FactoriesAct 1948. This will provide freedom from Inspector Rajbenefiting around 14,300 industries, and boost employment

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“ potential, which is presentlytagged at 1.9 lakh. Withindustrial and financial MoUssigned with Japan, there willbe a flow of investments inMaharashtra. A huge numberof MoUs have been signed for motor vehicle parts, foodprocessing and pharmaceuticals.

As the proposed Mumbai–Ahmedabad bullet train willmove via Nashik, the pace ofdevelopment in north Maharashtrawill increase. Due to this, manycompanies have expressed desire toinvest in the State, which will giverise to major industries, foster smallindustries and help employmentgeneration. While giving boost to largeindustries, the State has paid specialattention to small industries and isproviding land, units, infrastructureand has raised venture capital of ̀ 200crore, and rejuvenating the closedsmall industries.

To make the dream of Make inIndia a reality, it is important thatMake in Maharashtra becomessuccessful. For past one year, wehave been striving to attractindustries to invest in Maharashtraand expand industries in backward

areas of the State. I wait for the day when these initiativestake shape and bear fruits. The unemployed youth of theState will then have their hands full of job opportunities.

—As told to Kashibai Thorat

II MM PP OO RR TT AA NN TT DD EE CC II SS II OO NN SS• During the year, 34 mega projects have been approved, andthrough these proects, an investment of ̀ 20,803 crore andemployement for 20,204 persons have been proposed.• An MoU has been signed with General Motors, a worldleader in automobile sector. Under this, General Motors willmake an additional investment of ̀ 6,400 crore in the State.• For investors ready to invest more than `100 crore, per-missions are being provided through a portal called Maitri. • Information technology and IT-related Services Policy 2015has been announced. The expected investment in the IT sec-tor is around ̀ 50,000 crore and the target for employmentgeneration is 10 lakh.• With industrial and financial MoUs signed with Japan, therewill be a flow of investments in Maharashtra.

(From left) Minister Subhash Desai speaks at Maharashtra–Michigan Global Business Meet and signs an MoU with Minister, Trade and Investment, UK, Lord Ian Livingston

“To acceleratesmall industriesand easebusiness, adecision hasbeen taken tomodify theFactories Act1948. This willprovide freedomfrom InspectorRaj, benefitingaround 14,300industries

’’

e are completing one year of governancein Maharashtra. As Minister of Financeand Planning and Forests, I have takenmany important decisions under theaegis of my departments. To begin with, Iwill talk about the steps taken for forests.

The farmers in the State have to always struggle againstwildlife. Considering this, the Forests Department has takena historical decision for increasing compensation from `5lakh to `8 lakh in case of loss of human life and from `7,000to ̀ 15,000 in case of an injury in man-animal conflicts. It hasbeen decided to double the compensation for loss ofagricultural crop and horticulture due to wildlife.

There is an attempt to spread awareness among peoplefor conservation of forests and wildlife with the help of filmactors and sportspersons. Wildlife Week (October 1-7) was

observed in the august presence of State’s Tiger Ambassadorand senior actor Amitabh Bachchan at Sanjay GandhiNational Park, Borivali. On Independence Day, 6 lakh treeswere planted at 30,000 Government schools across theState. On the occasion of World Tiger Day, an exhibition wasorganised in Mantralaya which received an overwhelmingresponse. This will definitely help in Tiger protection andcreating awareness among people.

A decision was taken to establish a Bamboo Research andTraining Centre at Chichpalli in Chandrapur to carry outscientific plantation of bamboo and provide training for itsindustrial use. Funds to the tune of `11.22 crore were madeavailable for the same. Concession was given on bamboo royaltyto Burud workers to encourage them for self-employment. Thisconcession will be limited to ̀ 1,500 bamboo per year per family.All prohibitory orders on plantation and transport of bamboo,except two species, have been taken back. The Forest TrainingInstitute at Chandrapur has been upgraded to ForestAcademy and given autonomy. There is a decision to run theDeccan Odyssey up to Tadoba Sanctuary. To promote tourismin and around Nagpur, create employment opportunities andpreserve endangered species, the work in Gorewada zoo ofinternational standard is in progress. It is proposed to makeTadoba-Andhari Tiger Project and Sanjay Gandhi NationalPark international forest tourist sites like Masai Mara.

A decision has been taken to start a rescue centre forleopards at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. The Statebecomes first in the country to have a State butterfly, BlueMormon. At the first meeting of the reconstituted WildlifeCommittee, a decision was taken to increase the number ofsanctuaries. The proposals include Thane Creek FlamingoSanctuary (16.91 sq. km), extended Karnala Bird Sanctuary(6.854 sq.km.), Toranmal Conservation Reserve (91.52 sq. km)and Anjaneri Conservation Reserve (5.69 sq. km).

A decision has been taken to establish Maharashtra StateZoo Authority on the lines of Central Zoo Authority ofIndia. The State Wildlife Committee has taken a decisionto establish an independent Maharashtra WildlifeDevelopment Fund for preservation and conservationof wildlife. There is a decision to establish MaharashtraState Nature Tourism Development Corporation to protectbiodiversity in the forests. A decision has been taken toestablish Uttamrao Patil Forest Park at every districtthrough Social Forestry Department. These gardens willinclude forestry, biodiversity and nature conservation and


“We must coexist with forests”The Forests Department has looked at conservation of forests in the State and developingthem to reach the status of international tourist destinations, while Finance has taken measuresfor Government employees and armed personnel serving the State

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S U D H I R M U N GA N T I WA RFinance and Planning, Forests

plantation of local species offlora and fauna.

It has also been decided tomake hills on both sides ofmajor roads green. The movewill facilitate soil and waterconservation, improve the natural beauty of the area andcreate employment opportunities. The Government has takena decision for tree plantation on both sides of major roads,canals and railway tracks. Decision has been taken forimplementation of biodiversity management programme atwater holes and lakes in non-forest areas and establishmentof Maharashtra State Bamboo Development Corporation toencourage bamboo and bamboo- based small industries.

A decision has been taken to implement ShyamaprasadMukherjee Jan Van Vikas Yojana for increasing green coveroutside wildlife sanctuaries through public participation,

management of tree wealth, andimplementing schemes of variousdepartments in an integratedmanner. A decision has been takento establish Special TigerProtection Force for Navegaon-Nagzira and Melghat TigerProjects. A circular has beenissued to make easier the huntingof animals (like boar and Rohi)dangerous to agricultural crops.

Maharashtra Public ServicesAssurance Act has been imple -mented with the departmentmaking available 10 onlineservices. Mangrove ConservationPratishthan has been establishedfor protection of mangroves. Under

finance, an important decision was taken to publish a whitepaper on the present economic condition of the State to presenta status to the people of Maharashtra. The State will provideState pension for the retired ex-army jawans who served theState. This will be different from their pension from the Centre.It has been decided to give family pension to the dependentparents in case of the death of their only child servingGovernment of Maharashtra.

Decisions have been taken for raising maximum limit ofhome loan for State Government employees from present 50times to 200 times and increase in dearness allowance by 7per cent from July 9, 2014. The Group Insurance for Group Cand D staff with State Government has been increased. Withemphasis on speedier governance and transparency, we havetaken many decisions in the interest of the people. I amconfident that the Government will always be ahead in thecontinuation of excellent decisions from Finance andPlanning, and Forests.

—As told to Pawan Rathod


II MM PP OO RR TT AA NN TT DD EE CC II SS II OO NN SS� FFIINNAANNCCEE• Family pension for the dependent parents in case of deathof their only child serving in the State service.• State pension along with Union pension for retired armedpersonnel who worked for the State.• Widow of a deceased Government servant eligible for familypension even after remarriage. • Special transport allowance for deaf and mute staff. � FFOORREESSTTSS• Enhancement in compensation for loss of life in a wild animal attack, from `5 lakh to `8 lakh.• Blue Mormon is the new State butterfly.• Shyamaprasad Mukherjee Jana Vana Vikas Yojana• Veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan appointed Tiger Ambas-sador. Sportsman Sachin Tendulkar becomes ambassadorfor Harit Sena. • Leopard safari has been set up at Sanjay Gandhi NationalPark and Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Project at Chandrapur. • A decision has been taken to establish Special Tiger Protec-tion Force for Navegaon-Nagzira and Melghat Tiger Projects.

“MaharashtraState NatureTourismDevelopmentCorporationto protect bio -diversity in theforest, UttamraoPatil Forest Parkat every districtwill be set up

’’(From top) Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar with State’s Tiger Ambassador,Amitabh Bachchan and ambassador for Harit Sena, Sachin Tendulkar

s Minister of Transport, I have taken manyeffective decisions during the past year forsafe, fast and comfortable travel of people. Animportant decision has been to provide 10per cent of the 17.5 per cent travel tax toMaharashtra State Road Transport Corpo -

ration (MSRTC) as capital funds contribution for moderni -sation of ST depots and basic infrastructure. The amount oftravel tax concession is lesser in value than Travel Schemevalue and hence it does not totally compensate Travel Schemevalue. Hence, a decision was taken to provide funds to thetune of ̀ 352 crore to the MSRTC for workers’ contract for FY2000-2004 and 2004-2008.

Use of helmet is essential for safety of two-wheeler drivers.As it requires awareness, we took a decision that transportoffices get a bond from a two-wheeler licensee for using helmet

while he is given training license. The implementation of thesame has started. For women safety and convenience, we havereserved the front seat in share a cab for them. A sharedrickshaw and prepaid rickshaw service has been launched atKalyan city from June 1 to curb traffic jams and pollution, savefuel and bring the benefits of these to the passengers andadministration. For this travel, passengers have to pay 20 percent more than the meter charge and the service provider hasto pay ̀ 5 as charge per trip. The service provider maintains aphotograph of the rickshaw driver and passenger and therickshaw number on computer. This service aims to bringmore safety to women travelling late nights.

An eco-friendly fuel, ethanol helps reduction of pollution.Permission has been granted for ethanol ST buses at NagpurMunicipal Corporation. An online appointment system to getpermanent license has been launched to enable people appearfor the process at their convenient time. A new RegionalTransport Office has been started at Borivali, Mumbai. Thisis especially convenient to people from Dahisar and Borivaliand facilitates the daily travel for work for around 3 lakhprivate and 50,000 vehicle owners. An ultramodern,automatic vehicle inspection and testing centre—given 5acres—has been started at Nashik. Managed by ARAI, aCentre-appointed institute for coordination, it will reduceaccidents through modern, accurate, detailed and automaticfitness-testing facilities.

Highway accidents pose a huge challenge and it is necessary


“A safe, fast and comfortable ride”By taking services far and to inaccessible areas, the State Transport Department has provedthe maxim ‘ST at every village’ come true. Induction of new buses into the fleet, reservation of seatsfor women in buses and shared rickshaw are some of the initiatives taken

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Minister Diwakar Raote takes an auto ride in the city

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D I WA K A R R A O T ETransport

to establish driving license test centres through public-privatepartnership. The transport department has given topmostpriority to the safety of school students. A mobile app to locateappropriate school bus stop has been developed. Presently, theapp is being used on experimental basis in Pune. Soon the appwill be used throughout the State. The app will help inmonitoring school buses, their drivers, bus routes, bus numbers,mobile numbers of bus drivers, mobile numbers of school bussafety committee members, etc. A committee under thechairmanship of a retired High Court Judge has been appointedto go into the recommendations of Hakim Committee on autorickshaw–taxi fares and decide a revised tariff. The number ofauto rickshaw permits that have lapsed or cancelled is 1,40,065.We have made a decision to renew these permits and to issue 1lakh new permits through lottery system. The GPS/GRPSinstallation will be compulsory for these vehicles and certifiedresidence proof will be compulsory to get a new permit.

The Cabinet has approved three new rail routes beingimplemented with State contribution as per revised estimatesof the projects. One of these projects is Ahmednagar–Beed–Parali Vaijnath for which the revised estimate is ̀ 2,826 crore,while for Vadsa–Desaiganj–Gadchiroli, the revised estimate is`470 crore. Half of the amount for these projects will come fromthe State. Project Wardha–Yavatmal–Nanded for which the

revised amount is `2,500 crore,`1,000 crore share will be fromthe State. The total estimatedcost of all the three projects is`5,796 crore, and State’scontribution is `2,648 crore. AMemorandum of Under standing (MoU) has been signed withthe Ministry of Railways for setting up of a partnershipcompany, Railway Basic Infrastructures to achieve speedyimplementation of delayed projects.

The MSRTC implemented SMS reservation on mobilesfrom December 15, 2014. To make fresh room facilities for long-distance passengers, a policy for hotel/motel has been launched.In AC Shivneri buses, ten seats have been reserved for womencommuters from August 29, 2015. Fifteen lakh smart cards forpassengers travelling on concessions have been distributed.LED TV announcements at 80 bus depots have been started.

Annual card concession has beenimproved and made available for afamily of four. With the exception ofAC services, on payment of `500, afamily will receive 10 per centconcession on ST buses for a year.

During Kumbh Mela this year,the MSRTC added 3,000 buses toNashik Depot for the convenience ofdevotees. Two hundred new vehicleswere given to the depot for inter-citytransport. During 2015-16, it hasbeen planned to press 500 new semi-luxury buses into service in theState; 36 new buses have alreadyentered the fleet; 244 buses will begiven to all the 122 talukas. Theultramodern Shivneri bus servicefor passengers travelling betweenMumbai–Pune will pur chase 70buses. Out of these, 20 Volvovehicles have already entered thefleet. Two of these buses will be

placed for international tourism destination, Ajanta–Verul.Ministry of Road Transport and Highways have set standardsfor passenger vehicles. The standards have been implementedas Code of Practice for Bus Body Design & Application (AIS052). On the golden jubilee celebration of ASRTU (Associationof State Road Transport Undertakings) Institute, the MSRTCwon two awards. The institute relates to all ST bodies in Indiaand awards best state-run services in the country. This year,the MSRTC has received Best Diesel Saving Award.

I have resolved to provide safe, fast and comfortabletransport system to the people of Maharashtra. The action sofar speaks of our future journey. We would continue to makeit further enjoyable.



“ II MM PP OO RR TT AA NN TT DD EE CC II SS II OO NN SS• 10 per cent of the 17.5 per cent travel tax to the MSRTC to beused for modernisation of depots and basic infrastructure.• For women safety and convenience, the front seat of sharea cab is being reserved for them.• SMS reservation for ST buses on mobiles;announcements on LED TV started at 80 bus depots;annual card concession improved and made availablefor a family of four. • Renewal of 1,40,065 auto rickshaw permits that havelapsed or cancelled.• 70 Shivneri buses to be bought. • One lakh new auto rickshaw permits to be issued throughlottery system to bring employment opportunities to youth.

The State will see 500 new semi-luxury buses in 2015-16

“During2015-16, thereare plans to press500 new semi-luxury busesinto service; 36new buses havealready enteredthe fleet; 244buses will begiven to allthe 122 talukas.Shivneribus serviceswill purchase70 buses

’’

ducation is said to be the need of the day, butI believe that it has to be coherent with theday. With this in view, periodical changesare necessary to be carried out in every facultyof education. Not to stretch the wallet ofthe parent unduly with fees, we have enacted

a legislation that will be implemented rigorously. Whileimplementing the regulating fees Act, the institutes chargingexorbitant fees will be brought under control. I wouldemphasise that the ordinance brought by the StateGovernment is not against the institutes, but in the interestof students and education.

Speaking about the Department, I would say that today’sstudents will build the Nation of tomorrow. Therefore, theState expenditure on education is an investment in the

future. We have taken a decision to conduct a reexaminationof the students that failed in standard X. When a studentfails, one’s entire academic year is wasted. In the re-examination held in July for the students who failed theMarch 2015 examination, 57,517 students cleared theexamination in July and were able to save their year.Considering the provisions of the RTE Act, we have taken adecision to hold pre-secondary scholarship examination infifth standard instead of fourth, and secondary scholarshipexamination in eighth standard instead of seventh.

It is important to reduce the burden of school bags and focuson qualitative and skilled education. As a Minister for SchoolEducation, I would be taking total care that the childhood ofstudents is not lost. From the current academic year, thestudent will have to carry less weight to the school. In otherinitiatives, a comprehensive survey is being conducted to lookat out-of-school students. Relocated students will be providedan Education Guarantee Card, so that they can continueeducation at a school in the new place.

Today, Indian sportspersons are performing well atvarious global sports events. To ensure that these studentsreceive opportunities to prepare for 2020 Olympics, I amgoing to make efforts for an independent funding. Toencourage the sport Govinda (human tower), it has beendeclared an adventure sport and guiding principles have beenlaid with safety instructions. To encourage tribal studentswith inherent sports talents, tribal sports competitions havebeen given the status of State-level competitions. Theparticipants in these competitions will be given extra 25marks and will be eligible for 5 per cent reservation inGovernment services.

As Minister for Higher and Technical Education, I havetaken an important decision to have a combined CET. Nowthe CET for State engineering, pharmacy and medicaleducation courses from academic session 2016-17 will be one,i.e. MHT-CET. This CET will be based on the curriculum of12th standard State Board of Education, which will benefitstudents and help them score better.

As per guiding principles issued by University GrantsCommission, all non-agricultural universities willimplement choice-based credit system in a phased manner.Union Ministry of Human Resources Development hassanctioned an Indian Institute of Management (IIM) atNagpur. The first batch has already begun at the institute.The Indian Institute of Information Technology established


“Education must be coherent”With a view that today’s students will build the nation tomorrow, focus on students hasbeen driving Ministry’s major decisions in past one year. To keep India growing, it is important tobring in periodical changes in every faculty of education

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V I N O D TAW D ESchool Education, Sports and Youth Welfare, Higher and TechnicalEducation, Medical Education, Marathi Bhasha, Cultural Affairs

through PPP will start thesession from academic year2016-17. A capacity develop -ment prog ramme was arrangedin Delhi for around 200 studentsfrom Maharashtra who hadquali fied for interview at the UPSC Examination.

Asingle-window approach for pre-production permissionsfor film and TV serial producers to help them make films fastis being developed. The entire process will soon be online. Thepermissions will be granted five to seven days before theshooting begins. The film city will be developed as a touristcentre along with film production. Similarly, Goregaon FilmCity and Bollywood Museum will be developed togetheras a PPP project. A list of best locations for film shooting willbe prepared soon and put up online.

On the lines of National Schoolof Drama, Maharashtra School ofDrama will be established at theDadasaheb Phalke Film city,Goregaon. An honorarium to oldartists from the areas of drama andarts has been launched withpayments made online. The StateGovernment has taken a decisionto compile information on all folkarts in the written and film formatfor preservation. This informationwill be made available through awebsite like Wikipedia throughpublic participation.

A policy on Marathi languagedevelopment is being made.Maharashtra Official LanguageBill has been passed by theLegislature. Marathi LanguageConsultative Committee has placedthe development policy for Marathibefore the Government. It wasinsisted that Marathi Language

Department at universities should take an initiative. Thereare around 127 Acts with the word ‘Bombay’ on the website ofMumbai High Court. Out of these, the word has been replacedwith Maharashtra or Mumbai in 33 Acts. The action forother Acts is being taken.

The Government has approved some of the sub-committeesto go into improvements in science and technology dictionaries.The United Kingdom has a town of books called Hay-on-Wye.A study is being carried out on whether a similar village forbooks could be created in Maharashtra near Mahabaleshwar orat Malgund in Konkan with some of the literary personalitiesvisiting it during vacation or holidays. There would be manyprogrammes organised to celebrate reading culture.

—As told to Varsha Phadke


II MM PP OO RR TT AA NN TT DD EE CC II SS II OO NN SS• Implementation of National Higher Education Mission inMaharashtra for strengthening quality and foundation ofhigher education.• Marathi Language Conservation Fortnight held so far fromMay 1-15 will now be held from January 1-15. • As per recommendations of the Youth policy, VivekanandaYuva Mitra/Yuvati Mitra Scheme will be implemented at358 talukas in the State and 24 wards of MunicipalCorporation of Greater Mumbai.• Wrestling training centres will be established atten locations in Maharashtra to create more and moreHind Kesari in the State. • The State Government to observe October 15 as PreranaWachak Din from this year.

“CET for Stateengineering,pharmacy andmedicaleducationcourses fromacademic session2016-17 will beone, i.e. MHT-CET. This CETwill be based onthe curriculumof 12th standardState Boardof Education,which willbenefit students

’’(From top) Minister for School Education Vinod Tawde weighs a school bagand interacts with students during his trips to schools in Mumbai

n my political career it was the second time that Itook oath as a Minister in the lawns of theLegislative Assembly. The date was December 5,2014. Post the swearing-in ceremony, I washanded over the responsibility of Department ofEnvironment. As Minister for Environment, I

consider protection of environment as my prime responsibility.It is my duty to create awareness about environmentprotection and conservation to stall its deterioration.Therefore, I have decided to enhance public participation andmake this department more people-friendly.

Considering the fluctuations in earth’s temperatures andabrupt rise, the Department of Environment is implementingprogrammes to conserve the environment. The objective is toenhance the quality of environment, address its issues,spread awareness and create a supportive environment for

taking constructive decisions. The department is alsoexercising caution with respect to certain terms andinstructions, while granting permission to projects so as tomaintain environmental balance.

I will strive towards empowerment of MaharashtraPollution Control Board (MPCB). The Department ofEnvironment keeps a vigil on air, noise and water pollutionand controls the same. The Government of India has laiddown certain Acts and the implementation of these Acts isbeing done through MPCB. To control air, noise and waterpollution, firm steps will be taken in the coming years.

To control the use of plastic bags, we have decided toprohibit manufacture and distribution of plastic bags withless than 50 micron thickness. This is being implemented inthe State. Plastic creates serious environmental issues, as itdoes not degenerate. We are, therefore, encouraging people touse other options such as paper and cloth bags. We wouldencourage women self-help groups and unemployed youth tomanufacture these eco-friendly options.

I have been touring the State to create awareness aboutenvironment. The tours also bring to my knowledgeenvironmental issues at every location. One such example hasbeen of Waldhuni river. We took immediate action againstthose responsible for polluting the river. Similarly, during aninspection of Mithi river, I came to know about theencroachments and un authorised industries around it. Weaddressed the issue by initiating laying down of a separatepipeline for waste water, which after processing will bereleased into the sea.

Application for environmental permission can now be madeonline. Information about the meetings on these permissions,decisions, agenda, waiting list, timetable of the meetings andinstructions is given on websites www.environmentalclearance.nic.in and www.maharashtra.gov.in. We havedecided to honour those making valuable contribution in thefield of environment protection and have felicitated peoplewith Vasundhara Awards on World Environment Day. TheGovernment also took proactive steps to make this year’sSimhastha Kumbh Mela a grand, green affair.

To curb water pollution, all buildings and complexes liablefor environmental permission would be required to constructand use wastewater treatment systems. This will reduce theburden on the city wastewater treatment facility and prohibitpollution from new projects.

Considering the paucity of water, it has been made


“Enhance environment quality”Environment is not just important for development, but our survival. It is important toenhance its quality, encourage the use of cloth and paper bags, curtail air, water and noise pollutionand promote environment-friendly initiatives throughout

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R A M DAS K A DA MEnvironment

mandatory to process wastewater, and recycle and reuse it.Experiments are being carried out with rainwater harvesting.To reduce water pollution by factories, it will be mandatory toinstall zero effluent system. Industrial units will not getpermissions unless they do the needful. MaharashtraIndustrial Development Corpo ration (MIDC) has beeninstructed to efficiently run community effluent treatmentsystems at industrial estates.

The Mumbai coastal road project will help reduce theburden of traffic in the city. Currently, 60 per cent of Mumbai’straffic moves on Western Express Highway. With the coastalroad in place, there will be reduction in traffic on the WesternExpress Highway. The 34-km-long coastal road, fromNariman Point to Kandivali, includes 91 ha of green area. Itwill be built at a cost of around `10,000 crore and completedin next five years. The project will have gardens and

playgrounds. Ministry ofEnviron ment and Forests,Government of India has givenin-principle approval to themonument of Chhatra patiShivaji Maharaj at ArabianSea in Mumbai. For imple menting the provisions of NoisePollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000. According toRule 2C, the cities with a Commissioner of Police or DeputyCommissioner of Police and in other areas, concerned

Superintendent of Police or DeputySuperintendent of Police have beenappointed as noise pollution autho -rity. Also, it has been made manda -tory for all Municipal Corporationsand Municipal Coun cils and ZillaParishads to earmark silence zonesand put up relevant boards. Simi -larly, hoardings an nouncing airquality have been placed at manylocations in the city.

Corporate social responsibility(CSR) has been made mandatory forevery company. I have instructed allDistrict Collectors to issue notices tocompanies not adhering to the CSRnorms. We are going to lay emphasison eco-friendly development inevery district from the two per centtax raised from the companies.



“

“To reducecarbon footprint,it is mandatoryfor all newconstructionsand industrialprojects to usesolar or windenergy to fulfil 25 per centof theirenergy needs.Experimentswith rainwaterharvesting are on

’’

II MM PP OO RR TT AA NN TT DD EE CC II SS II OO NN SS• Application for environmental permission can now be madeonline. The information about meetings, decisions taken,agenda, waiting list and timetable to be available on websites.• It is compulsory for new projects to process solid wasteand arrange for disposal. Priority to projects adhering andimplementing green building guiding principles. • To reduce carbon footprint, it is mandatory for all new con-structions and industrial projects to use solar or windenergy to fulfil 25 per cent of their energy needs.• Boards will be placed on river banks to show informationon pollution of the river. Quality of river water, pollution levelsand proportion of pollutants will be updated every 15 days• The State would honour people who have made valuablecontribution in the field of environment protection.

Minister for Environment Ramdas Kadam during his tour to check the cleanliness of Mithi River in Mumbai

he State Government is completing one yearunder the leadership of Chief MinisterDevendra Fadnavis. As a Minister for Housing,Mines and Labour, I have taken many decisionson affordable homes, slum rehabilitation,housing, labour welfare and preservation and

conservation of mineral wealth of the State.Maharashtra is the fastest urbanising State in the

country. The main aim of the Government, therefore, is totake care of population growth and fulfill people’saspirations of development. Under Government of India’sHomes for All 2022, we have aimed at building around 19lakh houses in next five years. A decision has been taken toprovide funding to the extent of `500 crore from SlumRehabilitation Authority Funds to Shivshahi RehabilitationProject for affordable homes. The core of our housing plan is

to provide affordable homes to maginal income group andmiddle income group. The focus is on building housesthrough Government, private and public participation andtaking care of demand–supply gap in housing in Mumbaiand rest of Maharashtra.

In case of Mumbai, affordable housing can be madeavailable on a huge scale through redevelopment ofslums and old buildings and Maharashtra Housing andDevelopment Authority (MHADA) houses. At other placesin the State, the Government would like to integrate andstreamline all Government housing schemes to offeraffordable homes.

Maharashtra Government has also looked at slumdevelopment keenly. Earlier, there were many issues ofdocumentation for slum residents. We have taken a decisionto accept one or two proofs. The need for an affidavit onstamp paper has given way to acceptance of an affidavit onplain paper. Slum dwellers at hill sides are always in danger


“Affordable housing at the core”Steps for eradication of slums from the State and to develop and rehabilitate them, resolving labourissues and conservation of mineral wealth are a few decisions taken in past one year. A key decision is onmaking affordable housing available to all on a large scale in next five years

o

The State Government would like to integrate and streamline all Government housing schemes to offer affordable homes


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P R A K AS H M E H TAHousing, Mining and Labour


“ of landslides. To secure them, asecurity wall 9 m height hasbeen prescribed. The StateGovernment has released anadditional grant of `200 crorefor completing a project underJNNURM. To bring transparency to MHADA, a booklet hasbeen published and a vigilance squad has been set up.

Maharashtra Government has launched Make inMaharashtra. To attract maximum investment to theState, ease of doing business has also been started.Under this, improvements have been made in many LabourAct provisions. According to the Shops and EstablishmentsAct, it was necessary for establishments to close for one dayin a week. Now these shops can remain open on all seven daysof the week. The establishments will, however, have to give a

weekly off to the staff. Informationabout the Labour Department hasbeen made available on the websitewww.mahakamgar.gov.in

Certain modifications have beenproposed in the Factories Act. Dueto these, 14,300 factories will moveout of the provisions of the Act.Under certain strict conditions,women will be permitted to work innight shifts, benefitting 1.58 lakhworking women in the State.

Integrated self-certified returnsystem has also been implementedfor boiler systems, according toGovernment Resolution datedJune 24, 2015 for certain typesof boilers. This will be beneficialfor sugar factories and largeindustries. Private establishmentsare allowed to inspect boilers in

the State. To provide paid leave for labour, the matteris under consideration to bring the number of days to 90from 240 at present.

Conservation of mineral wealth and developmentof mines through scientific methods are some of thematters related to the Mining Department. A proposalunder the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regu -lation) Amendment Act, 2015 for setting up of a MineralDevelopment Foundation in every district is being placedbefore the Cabinet.

By taking steps for a slum-free State and to develop andrehabilitate the people living there, making available arightful home to everyone and strengthening them, resolvinglabour issues, and conservation of mineral wealth in the Stateare few of the many important decisions taken by mydepartments during the past one year.

—As told to Jayshree Kolhe

II MM PP OO RR TT AA NN TT DD EE CC II SS II OO NN SS• Under Government of India’s Homes for All 2022, the Stateto have around 19 lakh houses in next five years.• Fund to the tune of ̀ 500 crore from Slum RehabilitationAuthority Funds to move to Shivshahi Rehabilitation Projectfor affordable homes.• Documentation of slum residents made simpler. Now, noneed of an affidavit on stamp paper. A wall 9 m high to be builtaround slums in hilly areas for safety from landslides • All information about the Labour Department has beenmade available on the website www.mahakamgar.gov.in• Under certain strict conditions, women will be permitted towork in night shifts, benefitting 1.58 lakh working women inthe State. Integrated self-certified return system has alsobeen implemented for boiler systems.

schemes to offer affordable homes

State Government plans to build around 19 lakh houses in next five years

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“A decisionhas been takento providefundingto the extentof `500 crorefrom SlumRehabilitationAuthority Fundsto ShivshahiRehabilitationProject foraffordablehomes

’’

aharashtra State Road DevelopmentCorporation (MSRDC) has an importantplace in the development of Maharashtra.Whether we consider Mumbai–PuneYashwantrao Chavan Expressway, 55flyovers in Mumbai or Bandra–Worli Sea

Link, the projects of MSRDC stand as glorious chapters inState’s long and continuing journey to progress and economicprosperity. Now, under my leadership, MSRDC has planned anambitious project for quality road network across the State.My aim is all-round development of Maharashtra and I wouldlike to share this with the readers of Maharashtra Ahead onthe occasion of completion of one year of the Government.

Whether it is agricultural development or expansion ofindustrial network, anything can be achieved if there is astrong network of roads. If GDP of India has to go beyond 10 per

cent, it is essential to take agriculture development to 4 percent. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Minister forIndustries Subhash Desai have been making efforts to bringmore industries to Maharashtra and are meeting withindustrialists from many countries. The main requirements ofthese industries are electricity, water and roads. We arecomfortably self-sufficient as far as electricity is concerned.Although the status of water is not so good due to constantdrought condition, the industries in Maharashtra generally donot suffer due to water. The challenge thus is of roads. For this,we are committed to pace up the work of MSRDC. The ChiefMinister also supports strengthening of the corporation.

MSRDC can be a growth engine for the type of develop -


“Roads lead to development”A good road network is important for socio-economic development of a region. A strongorganisation of the Government, Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation can play a pivotalrole in bringing this kind of development to the State in years to come

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Minister for Public Works (Public Undertakings), Eknath Shinde at the inauguration of Setu Suvidha Kendra


E K NAT H S H I N D EPublic Works (Public Undertakings)

ment I have borne in my mind for Maharashtra. We areplanning many new and ambitious projects. Union MinisterNitin Gadkari has also offered many projects to MSRDC onbehalf of Government of India. A memorandum of under -standing is to be signed very soon between MSRDC andNational Highway Authority of India.

Through the mantra of work, work and more work, theMSRDC has proved its quality, capacity and utility. The

a


“ organisation had completedMumbai–Pune YashwantraoChavan Expressway in recordtime. The project is in excellentcondition even today. Mydemand, therefore, is thatMSRDC should get an opportunity to implement large roadprojects like the expressway.

Currently, MSRDC is working on ambitious projects such asMumbai–Nagpur Communication Expressway, capacityexpansion of Mumbai–Pune expressway, tunnel way to reachBorivali from Thane within 10 minutes and Pune ring road. Wehave also proposed integrated road development projects forsome major cities. Emphasis will be laid on building a networkof roads all over. Not only highways, but MSRDC has plans forcreation of a grid of roads with internal roads, highway androads connecting with each other. The work of construction of

iconic buildings for sales tax office atMazgaon and Yerawada is in progress.We have placed a proposal before theChief Minister for construction ofadministrative buildings for newlybuilt Palghar district jointly withPublic Works Department.

All these projects will not have adearth of funds. Today, manyfinancial institutions are eager toprovide loans at lean rates for basicinfrastructure projects. Japanesefinance company, JAICA has comeforward to finance projects inMaharashtra. We are also exploringthe possibility of raising fundsthrough bonds. Our demand forgranting the status of specialplanning authority to MSRDC hasalso been accepted by the ChiefMinister. Now, it is planned toestablish smart cities on the lands

belonging to MSRDC near Mumbai–Pune Expressway tocreate funds. The same model can be considered forMumbai–Nagpur communication highway as an option.

In case of toll, no fee will be placed on the public. We haveclosed 12 toll posts permanently and 53 toll posts partly,bringing a relief to people. Instructions have been issued fordeveloping water resources in every village. The efforts aretowards empowering farmers take up two crops in a year. If eco-tourism is developed in Thane, there could be some sereneentertainment spots, employment for local youth and a boost tothe economy. There is a huge scope for water transport inThane and the work on Kalyan–Thane–Mumbai watertransport will soon take off. I am sure that the Government willdefinitively turn the opportunity of roads into gold.

—As told to Dr. Sambhaji Khara and Sanjay OrkeSetu Suvidha Kendra

“Throughthe mantra ofwork, work andmore work,the MSRDC hasproved itsquality, capacityand utility. Theorganisation hadcompletedMumbai–PuneYashwantraoChavanExpressway inrecord time

’’

II MM PP OO RR TT AA NN TT DD EE CC II SS II OO NN SS• MSRDC is working on projects such as Mumbai-Nagpurcommunication expressway, capacity expansion ofMumbai-Pune expressway, tunnel way to reach Borivali fromThane within 10 minutes and Pune ring road.• There are plans to establish smart cities on the landsbelonging to MSRDC near Mumbai-Pune Expresswayto create funds. The same model can be considered forMumbai-Nagpur communication highway as an option. • Work on Wadal–Thane Metro will begin end of the year andwork on preparing a project draft for Kalyan-Bhiwandi-Thane metro line is in progress. • In case of toll, no fee will be placed on public; 12 toll postsclosed permanently and 53 toll posts partly

am striving to attend to my responsibilities asMinister of departments that are closely con -nected with the people, Cooperation, Marketing,Textiles and Public Works Depart ment (PWD).After completing one year as a Minister, I amhappy to see fulfillment of the aspirations of

common people and the work carried out by departments. The PWD has allocated funds worth `3,700 crore in the

budget this year. Seventy per cent of this fund has been madeavailable to the Department within first month of the year. Tostrengthen the road network in the State, `1,365 crore worthof State roads, `882 crore of major district roads, `700 croreunder NABARD Loan Assistance Scheme, ̀ 1,718 crore underCentral Roads Fund scheme and `25 crore under railwayflyover bridges—totalling ̀ 4,690 crore—have been budgeted.

Four laning of Mumbai-Goa National Highway has beengiven priority and the work for this road is in full swing. Wehave resolved to create a network of 3,36,000 km of roads inthe State, as per 20-year road development plans publishedby the State Government for 2001-2021. A Pothole-free Roadsmission will be implemented for the State and district roads.SCADA system will be used to improve the quality of roads,structural audit of the bridges constructed 30 years back forrepair and maintenance, and including terms for repairs forthe next five years in all large works have been planned.

An ambitious decision has been taken to completely close12 out of 91 toll posts in the State from May 31, 2015. Adecision has been taken to provide toll freedom for car, jeep,ST and school buses at 53 toll posts out of 79 under PWD. ThePWD completed 43 works of ring road, bridge on riverGodavari, railway overbridge, circuit house and hospitals atNashik and Trimbakeshwar as part of the Simhastha KumbhMela at an expenditure of ̀ 658 crore.

To bring transparency in tendering process, E-tenderingwas implemented for all works above `3 lakh and batchmixing process and Scada for works above ̀ 4 crore.

In keeping with Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, a decision hasbeen taken to establish toilets on both the sides of all Nationaland State Highways. Planning for clean drinking water andfacilitation centre for travellers is also in place. The PWD isusing modern technology while carrying out the works ofconstruction, re-construction and building highways. Effortsare been made with Centre for joining district headquarters


“Building a new Maharashtra”Setting up huge road projects, making the State free from toll and rejuvenating cooperatives are the mainpriorities of the Government. The other major decisions taken in past one year include implementationof e-tendering for public works, FRP for sugarcane farmers and reconstituting the handloom sector

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(From left) Minister Chandrakant Dada Patil hands over financial assistance to a farmer family, interacts with people to understand their requirements and talks to the media


C H A N D R A K A N T DA DA PAT I LCo-operation, Marketing and Textiles, Public Works(Excluding Public Undertakings)

with four-lane roads and widening of National Highways. The Government is making concerted efforts for

proliferation of the network of cooperation. We have taken adecision to make available long-term loans with interestgrant for payment of FRP amounts to the farmers supplyingsugarcane to factories. The interest for the first year will bepaid by the Centre and for the next four years, by the State.This will make available a loan of `2,000 crore to the sugarfactories without interest. Those factories that do not fit inthis Central Government scheme due to availing crushingseason taken by them in 2014-15, a decision has been takento give interest grant for five years to make long-term loansavailable facilitating payment of FRP to the farmerssupplying sugarcane to the sugar factory.

To cancel the registration of the non-working cooperativesocieties, a survey of 2.40 lakh registered cooperative societiesis being carried out. The Government has made availablemargin money of `50 crore to Cotton Marketing Federationfor working with Cotton Corporation of India and hasimplemented cotton purchase on a loan guaranteed by theGovernment. Govern ment guarantee for `1,000 crore has

been provided for cottonharvest 2014-15 for taking aloan against hypo thecation.Farmers are provided 25 percent reservation for placingtheir produce in the godownsand 50 per cent concession in transport charges. All the goodsat the Corporation (around ̀ 3,000 crore) have been insured.

Permission has been grant ed for 46 facilitation centresto be carrying on rental basisfor produce such as onion, banana,pome granate, orange, grapes,flowers, vegetables and othersunder integrated process develop -ment programme. As five backwardcooperative spinning mills havebeen taken for financial assistance,around 2,000 persons will getemployment. Four out of these arein Marathwada and have beengiven ̀ 46.77 crore as capital.

For handlooms, the UnionMinistry of Textile has announcedrenovation, improvement andreconstitution of industries formore than `3,000 crore with directparticipation of the State. For the20 per cent share of the Govern -ment, a fund of ̀ 2.35 crore has beendisbursed. As per decision of the

Government, the non-working mills of National TextileCorporation at Mumbai will be shifted to Nandgaon Peth ofAmravati district. This will create huge employmentopportunities in this area. During last one year, 250 suchprojects with an investment of `1,394.29 crore have beenstarted in the area which created jobs for 9,798 youth.

—As told to Vilas Bodke


“

“Priority isbeing given todevelopment oftextile industries.Textile parkin Vidarbha and atextile hub atNandgaon Peth inAmravati havebeen established.Textile Parks willbe established incotton-producingareas now

’’

II MM PP OO RR TT AA NN TT DD EE CC II SS II OO NN SS• 12 out of 91 toll posts in the State closed down fromMay 31, 2015.• A network of 3,36,000 km of roads will be created intheState as per 20-year road development plans. Four laning ofMumbai-Goa National Highway is in full swing • Permission has been granted for 46 facilitation centresto be carrying on rental basis for produce such asonion, banana, pomegranate, orange, grapes, flowers,vegetables and others.• First Mega Textile Park to be set up at Nandgaon Peth inAmravati district. Similarly, eight mega textile parksat Yavatmal, Buldhana, Nanded, Aurangabad, Beed, Jalna,Parbhani and Jalgaon will be developed. • Financial assistance to five backward cooperative spinningmills, out of which four are from Marathwada region.

family, interacts with people to understand their requirements and talks to the media

aharashtra is known as a healthy State inthe country. Through the medium ofMaharashtra Ahead, I would like to conveyto the people of the State that in the comingyears, a variety of schemes for betterhealthcare of the citizens would be on way

to completion. I am committed to provide quality healthcareto the citizens and there is a lot to be done going forward.

In order that people from rural and remote areas need nottravel to the city for healthcare services, that they get treatedat the local level and their health issues be taken care of byexpert doctors in the city, we have started the Shiv ArogyaTelemedicine Scheme. The service was launched at thearduous and hilly terrain of Melghat. Ultramodern healthservices will be provided to the patients in Nandurbar, Wada,Mokhada, Jawhar and remote areas of Nashik district.

Operation Kayapalat has been launched to providequality health services to common people and to bring apositive attitude in the staff towards healthcare delivery andencourage use of modern technology.

To ensure that farmers do not take extreme steps suchas suicide, expert psychiatrists are to be roped in to counselthem. To reach the farmers, help will be sought from Ashaworkers. The project will be implemented in Osmanabadand Yavatmal on an experimental basis. A helpline,Manobal with number 104 has been started. Consideringthe high demand of blood required in the State and toensure it is supplied at affordable rates, the rate for a bloodbag has been reduced from `1,050 to `850. To reducethe risks of spread of diseases through blood transfusion,a modern Nucleic Acid test system will be started atGovernment blood banks. Modern mobile blood collectionunits set up at Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri will help patientsin these districts.

Under Melghat Mother Child Health Programme,pregnant women are being tracked. In areas where there is noconnectivity, the mother undergoes a check-up at the nearestprimary health centre with the help of ambulance service ona fixed day decided as per the tracking data. For theprogramme, a special nodal officer of the level of districthealth officer has been appointed for Melghat. To reduceinfant mortality rate and infanticide, Bal Aarogya Abhiyan isalso being implemented in the State. Vatsalya ambulance


“On the way to a healthy State”Multiple health-related schemes and modern instruments are in place to assist healthcareservices in rural, remote areas. Providing psychological counselling to farmers in distress and launchof Operation Kayapalat and Arogyavadhini programme are effective steps taken

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(From left) Minister Dr. Deepak Sawant at an eye-checking camp organised under the National Blindness Control Programme and inspecting drugs at a Government hospital


D R . D E E PA K SAWA N TPublic Health and Family Welfare

service for safe transport of mother and child to the hospitaland back has been started at 29 locations in Maharashtra.Also, Janani Suraksha Yojana and Janani Shishu SurakshaYojana are being implemented effectively.

Under the National Programme for Control of Blind ness,eye-checking camps were organised. The camps weresuccessful with a total of 15,189 cataract surgeries done. TheState also has in place Arogyavardhini programme forMDR/XDR TB cases, where patients are provided diet rich innutrients thrice a day. The initiative is being implementedin Mumbai through National Health Mission, MumbaiMunicipal Corporation and Industrial Development Bankof India. The programme will be implemented throughoutthe State.

A committee under the chairmanship of Dr. SubhashSalunkhe has been assigned the task of preparing an actionplan for prevention of epidemics apart from drafting prposalsfor Emergency Services Act and Maharashtra EmergencyHelth Act. To control the expenses at private laboratories,efforts are being made to bring the test charges under control.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed

a


“ with Wipro and GE Healthcarefor starting radiology imagingdiagnostic centres at Govern -ment hospitals. Under this, aradiology imaging diagnosticcentre has been started onpublic-private partnership (PPP) basis at the districthospital in Aundh, Pune. Radiology imaging diagnosticcentres will be set up at other places too. Cancer hospitals inVidarbha, Marathwada and North Maharashtra have beenproposed. It is proposed to include knee replacement surgeryunder the Rajiv Gandhi Jeevandayee Arogya Yojana. Adecision has been taken to issue disability certificate throughSoftware for Assessment of Disability (SADM) to people withdisabilities. The action for draft proposal for Maharashtra

Health Safety and SpittingProhibition Act, 2015 has beenstarted. The sentence for spittingin public places proposed underthe Act includes a fine of `1,000and social service for one day at apublic hospital. A large number ofcamps have been held ininaccessible areas for healthcarecheck-up for women and childrenwhere experts from reputedhospitals participated.

Around 5 lakh incidents havebeen handled through theemergency medical serviceambulances (helpline number 108).Efforts are on to make a servicesimilar to motorbike ambulancesin London available in Mumbaiand other metro cities. An MoU hasbeen signed with the UnitedKingdom in this regard. ThroughRajiv Gandhi Jeevandayee Arogya

Yojana, 50 lakh surgeries have been carried out.Leprosy Eradication Mission and Leprosy Fortnight was

organised at taluka level between January 30 and February28. Besides this, Leprosy Indentification and TreatmentMission will be implemented in for the coming year. UnderNational Adolescent Health Mission, a counselling helpline(1800 233 2688) has been launched. The Government hastaken a decision to name GNM Nursing School at VitthalSayanna district hospital, Thane after late nurse ArunaShanbaug. Many important decisions such as filling upvacant posts in health services and strengthening healthinstitutions have been taken during the last one year. Manyexcellent schemes have been started and initiativesimplemented. However, a lot has to be done in order to bestowa healthy life on every citizen of the State.

—As told to Ajay JadhavNational Blindness Control Programme and inspecting drugs at a Government hospital

II MM PP OO RR TT AA NN TT DD EE CC II SS II OO NN SS• Under Shiv Arogya Telemedicine Scheme, services ofexpert doctors based in Mumbai are made available freeof cost to people in inaccessible areas via teleconferencing.• Operation Kayapalat launched to provide quality healthservices to common man, making primary health centres,sub-district hospitals, rural hosptals and district hospitalsequipped with modern instrument and experts. • Arogyavardhini programme launched for MDR/XDR TBcases, where patients given diet rich in nutrients thrice a day• Government to strengthen health services in 14 districtsaffected by farmer suicides. • Remedial measures to be undertaken to provide perennialhealth services under the Rajiv Gandhi Jeevandayee ArogyaYojana. Rates for a blood bag reduced from `1050 to ̀ 850.

“OperationKayapalat hasbeen launched toprovide qualityhealth servicesto common man,making primaryhealth centres,sub-districthospitals, ruralhospitals anddistrict hospitalsequippedwith moderninstrumentand experts

’’

n its mission to relieve Maharashtra from thedrought situation, State Government launchedJalyukta Shivar Abhiyan. The programmeregistered huge success in its first year, as variousvillages actively participated in it. The innovativeprogramme was drafted combining all 14 schemes

being implemented in the State for water conservation andwater supply. For 2015, a total of 6,202 villages were selectedfor the scheme and a total of 1,18,499 works was complete tillAugust 2015. Some years back, innovative Vaidyanath Patternfor water conservation was implemented by me in Parli andAmbejogai talukas of Beed district. Water conservation wasdone in villages with the help of minor-big dams, nalladeepening and rejuvenating rivers. This helped in combatingdrought situation successfully. Taking inspiration from thesuccess of this pattern after taking up charge of water

conservation department, I chalked our Jalyukta ShivarAbhiyan. I am happy that for the last one year throughpeople's participation Abhiyan has been implementedsuccessfully giving solace to people.

Allocating `1,000 crore to the flagship scheme, the StateGovernment aims to bring drought freedom to 25,000 villageswithin next five years. The Rural Development Departmenthas resolved for comprehensive development of villages in theState. It has been planned to make all Gram Panchayats,Smart Gram Panchayats. Villages are being made accessibleby Mukhya Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, a State scheme basedon Centre’s Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). Aprovision for `350 crore has been made for the project.PMGSY has also been implemented effectively, and the targetof new rural roads in Maharashtra is placed at 2,629 km. Aprovision of ̀ 1,572 crore has been made for this.

Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana is also being implementedin Maharashtra. All MPs from the State have chosen thevillages and work has begun in 70 villages. Based on thisprogramme is State’s Amdar Adarsh Gram Yojana, which hasmade every Legislative Assembly and Legislative Councilmember to choose a village for development. The StateGovernment has resolved to transform 1,000 villages duringthe next five years.

The Government of Maharashtra has passed the Right toServices Act. In its first stage, 13 services essential at villagelevel will be made available. The Gram Panchayats located


“Change begins with villages”The State aims at bringing drought freedom to 25,000 villages and transforming 1,000 villages during thenext five years, while targeting women and child welfare. Other key steps include rural housing, developingthe market for products made by women self-help groups and ensuring implementation of MGNREGA

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Minister Pankaja Munde on a tour of the State as part of Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan


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S M T . PA N K A JA M U N D ERural Development and Water Conservation, Employment GuaranteeScheme, Women and Child Development

in tribal areas under Panchayats (Extension to ScheduledAreas) Act have been delegated powers for sales and disposalof natural resources such as tendu leaves and bamboo withinthe village area. Rural housing (Gharkul Yojana) is anotherimportant area where Rural Development Department has apivotal role to play. During the last year, more than 1 lakhhomeless people have been given homes. Homeless and belowpoverty line families will be provided financial assistance upto `50,000 to purchase land under Pandit DeendayalUpadhyaya Gharkul Khaderi Arthsahayya Yojana.

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employ mentGuarantee Scheme (MGNREGA) is being implementedeffectively. For 2015-16, the Centre has sanctioned alabour budget of 10.87 crore man-days with a provision of

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II MM PP OO RR TT AA NN TT DD EE CC II SS II OO NN SS• An allocation of ̀ 1,000 crore has been made to JalyuktaShivar Abhiyan that aims to bring freedom from drought to25,000 villages during next five years. • Drought relief work is priority and done under MGNREGA.• All Gram Panchayats in the State will go smart with tech-nology. A definite policy is being drafted through preparationof plans for development of Gram Panchayats. Sangram Pro-ject has been launched to increase the use of IT.• Mukhyamantri Gram Sadak Yojana on the lines of PradhanMantri Gram Sadak Yojana will build rural roads in the State. • Under Right to Services Act, 13 services essential at villagelevel will be made available. • Women and child development measures to ensure childrenare not malnourished and women are empowered.

Minister Pankaja Munde being welcomed by a girl and with school children

`2,448 crore. Plans are afootto construct 44,000 irrigationwells through MGNREGAwithin next two years.

Department of Women andChild Development has takenmeasures to ensure there is no malnourished child in theState and women are empowered, safe and healthy. Pregnantand lactating women and children are being looked after.Road use tax fund (RUTF), patio garden and other innovativeschemes are being implemented on an experimental basis.Ten districts from Maharashtra, namely Aurangabad, Beed,Osmanabad, Jalna, Jalgaon, Ahmednagar, Buldhana,Washim, Kolhapur and Sangli have been chosen for Centre’sBeti Bachao, Beti Padhao scheme. Maharashtra has launcheda similar State scheme, Majhi Kanya Bhagyashree andallocated ̀ 200 crore for its implementation. The Governmentwill provide financial incentives to the families on birth of a

girl child, her education and skilldevelopment.

We also plan to develop marketfor products made by women self-help groups. A new scheme,Punyashlok Ahilyabai HolkarBajarpeth Yojana will soon be inplace. For this, a provision of `200crore has been made in the StateBudget. The funds for girl hostelshas been doubled and a sum of `25crore has been allocated for buildingof safety walls. The remunerationof Anganwadi Sevikas has beenenhanced by `950, helpers by `500and junior Anganwadi Sevikas by`550. The additional expenditurewill be ̀ 176 crore per year. A total of1,97,262 Anganwadi workers havebenefitted with this. There will beonline payment to the workers. AChief Minister helpline number 181

(toll free), active 24x7, has been activated for women indistress. For conveying important programmes and decisionsto the Anganwadi staff, an SMS Gateway service has beenstarted. The work for Aadhar registration by Anganwadi andchildren centre has begun for children in the age group of 0-6. A decision has been taken to conduct a third-party audit forall children’s homes in the State. Audit of 990 children homesis in the final stage.

An MoU has been signed with I-Care Institute of MedicalSciences and Research to train women to become drivers.The programme had trained 200 women till September.Another MoU has been signed with the Department ofTechnical Education.

—As told to Irshad Bagwan

“For 2015-16,the Centre hassanctioneda labour budgetof 10.87 croreman-days witha provisionof `2,448 crore.It has beenplanned toconstruct 44,000irrigationwells throughMGNREGA

’’

n past one year, we have made concerted effortsand taken many important decisions related tosocial, academic and economic development ofState’s tribal community. With a view to bring thecommunity into the mainstream, we have takenmany important schemes and initiatives. Given

that I represent the tribal community, I am aware of thechallenges of the community and fully understand theirpangs. I take this opportunity to assure that we are fullycommitted to the welfare of the tribal communities.

During the period before and after Independence, manyconcepts were put in place for the development of tribals.The Government planned and implemented many remedialmeasures for their socio-economic as well as academicdevelopment. In the beginning, emphasis was laid on areadevelopment. However, the tribal communities outside the

said area got neglected. Thereafter, a comprehensivedevelopment plan was put in place that focussed not only ondevelop ment of the area, but also on individuals by appointinga Commissioner of tribal welfare as well as setting upMaharashtra State Tribal Development Corporation andTribal Research and Training Institute. With the help ofthese, various schemes have been undertaken and are beingimplemented effectively.

Ashram Shala (boarding schools for the tribals) clusterscheme is being implemented for the sake of education of thecommunity. The other initiatives include Government hostelsfor boys and girls for higher education—free education forstudents in various reputed English medium schools,Government of India scholarships and golden jubileescholarships. We are making available at least five per centfunds to Gram Panchayats to develop villages and padas(hamlets) in scheduled areas under PESA even as otherschemes are being implemented successfully.

Aiming for a clean India by 2019, the Government of Indiaannounced Swachh Bharat Abhiyan last year. To achieve itstargets, a programme titled WASH, i.e., Water Sanitationand Hygiene under Swachh Bharat: Swachh Vidyalaya(SBSV) or Clean India: Clean Schools has been startedat the Ashram Shalas run by the Department of TribalDevelopment.

With a view that tribals from remote and hilly areas gainfrom social, economic and educational development, effortsare being made to ensure that they receive quality educationand a balanced nutritional diet. This will help them be a partof the mainstream and receive benefits of development,resulting in a change in their standard of living. TheGovernment has undertaken innovative schemes in this area.One such initiative is India’s first central kitchen atMundegaon in Nashik. A similar kitchen will soon beestablished at Kambalgaon in Palghar district.

The State Government has sanctioned a grant for25,000 students from Scheduled Tribes to receive educationfrom std. I to std. XII at renowned English medium,residential schools. Under Right to Education Act, it hasbeen decided to establish a school management committee(SMC) at every Ashram Shala. The committee will generateawareness by educating the locals about the rights ofchildren and duties of the State Government, local self-government, school, parents and guardians. It will exertcontrol so that non-teaching work is not assigned to


“Committed to tribal welfare”The State Government stresses on the need to develop tribal communities and bring them into themainstream. Measures such as area and individual development in the field of education and nutritionare in place for their holistic development and to build an inclusive and progressive Maharashtra

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V I S H N U SAV R ATribal Development

basis. Training of 125 tribalstudents is on at this regionalsports complex since June 2015.Training in areas of archery,athletics, wrestling, kabaddiand shooting has begun.

While initiating welfare measures for tribal com munitiesand bringing them to the mainstream, we have drafted manyambitious schemes in order to totally transform their lives.With respect to economic development of tribal farmers,craftsmen and landless labourers, we will be implementingvarious schemes through the medium of Tribal DevelopmentCommissioner, Tribal Development Corporation and Tribal

Research and Training Institute. These will include setting up

small processing centres withinthe Tribal Sub-Plan areas foragricultural produce and minorforest produce, sales of productsthrough the Corporation, purchaseand sale of forest produce withinTribal Sub areas under PESAAct and Forest Rights Act (FRA)through Gram Sabha, grantingmaximum price for agriculturalproduce to farmers by implementingoptional purchase scheme in areasother than mono poly purchasescheme and supply of the produce toGovernment Ashram Shalas.

The Department will put inplace sales management for agri -cultural and minor forest producewith a view to stop economicexploitation of tribal farmers andcraftsmen, acquisition of land andgodowns of the old and loss-makingcooperative societies and construct -

ing new ones. Then, there will be establishment of haat(purchase centre) and godowns for minor forest produce forpur chasing these items at minimum assured rates, imple -menting the sales process for foodgrains and forest producepurchased by National Commodities and DerivativesExchange (NCDEX) at the national level through e-tenderingsystem so that highest rates can be achieved. Plans are afootto set up honeybee farms and self-employment training withthe help of Khadi Gramudyog Mandal, establishment of a unitat Masheli in Gadchiroli for purchase of honey at Centre-assured rates and others.

These are the important schemes undertaken byGovernment of Maharashtra for holistic development of tribalcommunities. We are going to strive towards making theseschemes successful in the coming years.


teachers, while monitoring the daily working of the school,review of students’ progress, controlling study facilitiesand making efforts for enhancing the quality of education,following up the duties of the teachers and weeding out theissues facing them. The committee aims at bringing out-of-school students into mainstream education system,implementing remedial measures on issues such asabsenteeism and drop-outs, and ensures 100 per centenrollment of students and 100 per cent attendance inschool are constantly maintained. It will also try to bringout-of-school and handicapped students into the main -stream education system and make efforts so that theyremain at school. This will lead to an effective and bettercontrol at the school level.

In the area of sports, Eklavya Sports and EntreprenuershipAcademy has been established at Nashik on a temporary


II MM PP OO RR TT AA NN TT DD EE CC II SS II OO NN SS• Ashram Shala Cluster Scheme is being implemented forthe education of the tribal community.• A programme designated WASH, i.e. water, sanitation andhygiene under Clean India: Clean Schools has been started atAshram Shalas run by the Department of Tribal Development.• In sports, Eklavya Kreeda and Udyojakata Prabodhini hasbeen established at Nashik. Training in archery, athletics,wrestling, kabaddi and shooting has begun. • The first central kitchen has been established atMundegaon village in Nashik district. A similar kitchen willbe established at Kambalgaon in Palghar district.• There is a provision of a package scheme to tribal farmerswith the approval of the Government for agricultural imple-ments and seeds.

“The StateGovernment hassanctioned agrant for 25,000students fromScheduled Tribesto receiveeducation fromClass 1 to 12 atEnglish Mediumresidentialschools. A schoolmanagementcommittee willbe established at every Ashram Shala

’’

Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao, Ministers Girish Mahajan and Vishnu Savraat the inauguration of India’s first central kitchen at Mundegaon in Nashik

s a Minister looking after public distribution inMaharashtra, I have initiated manyprogrammes after taking charge. There havebeen steps to ensure that there are nocomplaints from citizens. Part of these positivesteps is distribution of foodgrains via Aadhaar-

based biometric system. The programme is being implementedat fair price shops across the State. In phase one, one talukafrom each district has been selected. The system will run at4,300 shops. Henceforth, tablets will be used. Mobile terminaltechnology will be used for biometric identification. Usingmodern technology to the maximum, the efforts are focused onmaking public distribution system (PDS) transparent.

Another important step is to link ration cards to Aadhaarnumber. The work has started in all the districts and till now2.75 crore cards have been linked. We have also decided to

improve the distribution system. A computerised chainmanagement system across stages—from Food Corporation ofIndia to State warehouses—will be implemented. The path-breaking project has started from Raigad and Sindhudurg,and will be launched in other districts by March 2016.

Kerosene is being distributed at the rate of 2 litres perperson, 3 litres for two persons and 4 litres for three or morepersons. The transfer of license for retail kerosene and fairprice shop after the death of license holder has beenstreamlined and made comprehensive. This will bring reliefto kerosene retailers and fair price shop license holders.

Food and Civil Supplies Department has taken manydecisions beneficial to the farmers. The most important of themis to provide benefits of foodgrains as per National Food SecurityScheme. Farmers in 14 drought-affected districts of the State,namely Aurangabad, Jalna, Nanded, Beed, Parbhani, Osmana -bad, Latur, Hingoli, Amravati, Washim, Akola, Buldhana,Yavatmal and Wardha are covered by the scheme. Under thescheme, the 68 lakh saffron ration card holders are beingprovided wheat at ̀ 2 and rice at ̀ 3 per kg at 5 kg per person permonth basis. This is a relief to the farmers in the drought-affected areas, and I am happy that the scheme is being handledby the Food and Civil Supplies Department.

For the benefit of the farmers, the paddy procured underminimum support price for harvest 2014-15, we will be paying`30 higher than the rates prescribed by the Government ofIndia. The purchased paddy will be paid with an encourage -


“Transparency, the way ahead”Computerisation will lead to smooth delivery of foodgrains and curb malpractices. Using moderntechnology to the maximum, the efforts are focused on making the system transparent. Steps havebeen taken to ensure customers get products at fixed MRP and curtail malpractices

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Officials brief Minister Girish Bapat on the new biometric PDS


G I R I S H B A PATFood, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection, Food and DrugsAdministration, Parliamentary Affairs

ment of ̀ 250 in addition to the Government of India rates. Anamount of `74.21 crore has been paid for this. A decision hasbeen taken to cancel the storage prohibition on pulses,cooking oil and cooking oil seeds.

The Government has taken an ambitious decision topurchase sugar from open market to supply to beneficiariesand Antyodaya Scheme under PDS. The sugar will bepurchased through NCDEX SPOT Exchange Ltd. With this,the sugar purchase has become totally transparent,competitive and modern, and the sugar is available at lesserthan market rate. Labour, transportation and other sundrywill not have to be borne by the Government, saving ̀ 2 croreper month. I am happy to note that other states have alsoaccepted this model.

The Government of India started DBTL PAHAL Scheme toprovide gas cylinder to the poorest families in the country witha subsidy. As the subsidy is directly credited to the bankaccount, the customer is benefitted. Launched in Wardha andAmravati first, the scheme has been implemented in alldistricts and benefitted 1.67 crore customers out of 1.91 crore,bringing subsidy straight into their bank accounts. Till now87.67 per cent people are getting the benefits and we expect totake DBTL PAHAL Scheme to the rest by March 2016.

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“ We have started makingflat measurement rules forthose buying a house. The workis in final stage and will controlthe monopoly of the builders.We have also taken up thework of strengthening laboratories at Metrology Departmentand taken steps for making available locations for theselaboratories in districts. This will bring the adulterators tojustice as the samples will be available faster.

The Government is committed to ensure that customersget every product at MRP. However, it has come to our noticethat retailers charge more than the MRP. A complaint cell hasbeen established at 022-2288 6666 to register grievances.The customers can also lodge a complaint on Whatsapp

number 98696 91666. Under theDrugs and Cosmetics Act, Maha -rashtra is the first State in India tohave started issuing online licensesfor production and sale of drugs. Thiscomputerised system has alsoearned a national award.

The Food and Drugs Adminis -tration (FDA) ensures that the drugsavailable in the market are free fromadulteration. Thirty teams wereestablished and inspections werecarried out in two phases, leading togoods worth `133 crore seized in 70incidents last year.

We have made MRP compulsoryon drugs and taken action againstdrug dealers selling drugs withoutany license through e-commercewebsites. Blood banks are instructedto make available blood bags atcharges fixed for the same.

To make the youth quit gutkhaand pan masala addiction, the Food and DrugsAdministration (FDA) has decided to take stern steps likeGutkha Mukti Abhiyan. The steps include one-yearprohibition on manufacture, storage and sales of gutkha,pan masala, mawa, kharra and others. During last oneyear, we have taken action against people selling gutkha. Atotal of 3,858 inspections were carried out and 1,231storages have been attached. Goods worth ̀ 13.15 crore havebeen confiscated.

Strict action is being taken against those involved inmilk and cooking oil adulteration. During the past year, thework of Food and Civil Supplies and Food and DrugsAdministration has become transparent and accelerated. Wewill continue to take decisions and implement them in theinterest of the customers and common people.

—As told to Nandkumar Waghmare

II MM PP OO RR TT AA NN TT DD EE CC II SS II OO NN SS• Distribution of foodgrains is being done via Aadhar-basedbiometric system. In phase one, one taluka from eachdistrict has been selected. The system will run at 4,300 shops. • A computerised chain management systemacross stages—from Food Corporation of India toState warehouses—will be implemented.• To weed out black marketing of foodgrains, reforms inMaharashtra Prohibition of Dangerous Activities (MPDA) Actare being brought. Black marketing of ration is goingto be a non-bailable offence.• Food and Civil Supplies Department has implementedCentre’s National Food Security Scheme in the State.Farmers in 14 drought-affected districts of the State havebeen covered by the scheme.

“Under theDrugs andCosmetics Act,Maharashtra isthe first State inIndia to havestarted issuingonline licensesfor productionand sale ofdrugs. The FDAensures thatdrugs availablein the marketare free fromadulteration

’’

Minister Girish Bapat at the launch of National Food Security Scheme

y efforts continue from the days of publiclife to see that the farmer should be happyand prosperous. Therefore, when I tookoath as a Minister, there was a satisfactionon the opportunity to carry out some goodwork on one hand and being able to utilise

this opportunity to the fullest on the other. I began to workkeeping in mind on one hand the need for creation ofconfidence and sense of belonging in the minds of farmers, andon the other making appropriate use of every drop of waterin the State. Through the medium of irrigation, I wanted tocontribute to the total development of the State. I was awareof the huge challenges that lay ahead for me. Today, throughthe medium of Maharashtra Ahead, I have the opportunity tolook back and account the year gone by.

Presently, Maharashtra is facing an issue of drought.

Although the receding rains have improved, the water levels atsome of the dams in the State is not adequate. Therefore, it isimportant to plan water from now on. The Government hasmade up its mind to take stern steps for necessary watermanagement. I am personally looking into the aspects of thismanagement. On an area level, the gates of Kolhapur typeweirs need to be opened and closed on the dot. For specificmanagement, a rainy season planning programme has beenundertaken as a movement. For successful imple mentationof the programme, instructions have been given to DistrictCollector, Chief Executive Officer and officers of my Depart -ment after a review meeting at a regional level.

Apart from strengthening the department, a plan wasmade for projects to be accelerated and incomplete projects tobe completed. In the backlog, all projects with more than 75per cent investment done are taken up for completion.Accordingly, during 2015-16, a total of 39 projects, and during2016-17, a total of 41 projects will be taken up for completionon priority. Of these incomplete projects, half will be completedwith distribution system on first priority. Generally, therequired private land for various projects is acquired by theconcerned land acquisition institution under the present LandAcquisition Act. However, we have promulgated guidingprinciples for such institutions according to Governmentresolution dated May 12, 2015, so that they can go for directpurchase for land acquisition. This will accelerate landacquisition and result in completion of projects.


“Prosperity through irrigation”The Government plans to take stern steps for water management. Expanding the area underirrigation and linking rivers can make Maharashtra a water-sufficient State. The successful executionof the Kumbh Mela at Nashik–Trimbakeshwar this year is a feather in State’s cap

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G I R I S H M A H A JA NWater Resources and Khar Land

Minister Girish Mahajan inspects a site in Nashik ahead of the Kumbh Mela

The powers for sanctioningorders for a work were so farheld with the chairman of thecorporation. Now these powershave been delegated on aregional basis. Through aneffective control system, decentralisation of powers in case oftendering process has been done.

The Government decided to change the policy of amendedadministrative sanction, which was a huge obstacle in theacceleration of projects delayed for a long time. At the sametime, considering the farmer as a focal point and with a viewto provide benefits of the project to the farmers, the powers foramended administrative sanction for Vidarbha and Marath -wada have been delegated to the concerned corporations.

A special mission has beenundertaken for rejuvenation of oldprojects. A decision has been takenfor acceleration of Damanganga andPar–Tapi–Narmada river linkingproject for effective use of availablewater. Revised adminis trativeapproval has been granted for surveyand detection of mega rechargeproject in Tapti valley. I am confidentthat this will accele rate work on thisproject. In the first year of theGovernment, revised administrativeapproval were given to 22 minorirrigation dams and khar landprojects in February 2015, and 28minor irrigation dams in May 2015.The policy on making projects onefficient use of water by the corporatesector under their responsibility wasannounced by the Water ResourceDepartment on April 10, 2015.

Transparency has given impor -tance and speed to the work. To make

common people aware about the projects, detailed informationon a total of 403 projects under construction has been given onthe website. Residents and public representatives will find ituseful and it will help complete and streamline the project.

Irrigation not just relates to agriculture or drinking water,but also industries and cooperative sectors. To appropriatelyplan the development of the State, development of irrigatedarea is of utmost importance. In the light of this, we haveemphasised on enhancing the efficiency of the departmentduring the year. While looking back on how we started, wehave also made positive changes to work effectively. Furtherjourney is to be undertaken with a dream to achieveprosperous agriculture and make farmers rich with perennialand better irrigation.

—As told to Dr. Sambhaji Kharat and Sanjay Orke


ACCOLADESON THE SUCCESSFULORGANISATIONOF MAHAPARVA

The year has been a memo-rable one to me. Chief Min-ister Devendra Fadnavis

made me the Minister in-chargeof the Kumbh Mela at Nashik–Trimbakeshwar. The Mela gave aboost to basic infrastructure inNashik and Trimbakeshwar.Saints and sages expressed theirsatisfaction at organisation ofthe Mela.

Following the call for SwachhBharat by Prime Minister Naren-dra Modi, the Kumbh Mela thisyear was acknowledged as HaritKumbh. Special attention wasprovided to sanitation. Thedevotees could experience aclean and beautiful face of thecity. Special attention was given

to healthcare facilities. KumbhMela as an occasion has beenresponsible for creating a newglobal identity for Nashik city. Iam confident that the megaevent will help economic devel-opment in the region. Thenewly established basic infra-structure facilities will supple-ment the development.

Kumbh Mela has become akumbh of faith, devotion,tourism and development. Iwould like to thank everyonewho made this event successful.These include administration,elected representatives, saintsand sages, officers, staff, execu-tives from various organisa-tions, media and citizens ofNashik and Trimbakeshwar.Due to your contribution, themega event will be remem-bered as an example of excellent organisation.

II MM PP OO RR TT AA NN TT DD EE CC II SS II OO NN SS• The gates of Kolhapur-type weirs need to be opened andclosed on dot. For specific management, a rainy season plan-ning programme has been undertaken as a movement. • A special mission has been undertaken for renovation of oldprojects. At the same time, a decision has been taken foracceleration of Damanganga and Par-Tapi-Narmada riverlinking project for effective use of available water. • Revised administrative approval given to 22 minor irriga-tion dams and khar land projects in February, and 28 minorirrigation dams in May this year. • Transparency has given importance and speed to work. Tomake common people aware about the project, detailedinformation on a total of 403 projects under construction hasbeen given on website to streamline the projects.

“Irrigationnot just relatesto agricultureand drinkingwater, but alsoaffectsindustries andcooperativesectors. Toappropriatelyplan fordevelopmentof the State,developmentof irrigation areais of utmostimportance

’’

Minister Girish Mahajan interacts with sages ahead of the Kumbh Mela

nergy being the basic need for nationaldevelopment also has an important place inthe basic infrastructure of the country.Considering the increasing demand forenergy in Maharashtra in years to come, it isessential to generate sufficient power at

lesser cost. We have, therefore, laid emphasis on developmentof non-conventional energy sources for electricity generation.A policy has been decided for producing 1,400 MW of powerfrom non-conventional energy sources. We are encouragingyouth to implement these projects with a condition thatthey will give a part of their profits for village development.The youth will, thus, support village development andshoulder social responsibilities.

The State Government has formulated the first compre -hensive policy on renewable energy and has aimed to

produce 14,400 megawatt (MW) power through non-con -ventional sources. Maharashtra is aiming to achieve thetarget in next five years; beginning with the current6,700 MW installed capacity of non-conventional powerprojects. These include wind energy projects for 5,000 MW,molasses and agro-residue based co-generation projectsfor 1,000 MW, mini hydroelectric projects for 400 MW,agro-generated residue based projects for 300 MW,industrial waste based projects for 200 MW and solar-basedprojects for 7,500 MW.

The State has many sources of new and renewable energy.Out of these, wind and solar sources coupled with molassesand others could be used for electricity generation. Toaccelerate distribution-related projects, the Department hasannounced the policy for non-conventional energy.

The Government of India has also announced a policy onproduction of electricity from new and renewable energysources and set a target of extension for electricity productionfrom these sources at 175 GW by 2022. This includes 100 GWof solar energy. The State had activated 6,155 MW capacitynon-conventional energy projects till March 2014. Theproposed target for the State is 14,400 MW.

Power generation projects arriving in the State with abang have been provided various facilities. Six lines and sixsubstations are being built for a 3,300 MW project from M/sAdani. The distribution system has been made available fora 1,350 MW centre of M/s Ratan India Power Limited. I ampersonally looking into the matters of Mahavitaran, whichwill bring noticeable positive changes soon.

When high-tension (HT) lines are laid by Governmentor private distribution companies through agriculturalfields, there is a loss of standing crops and horticulture. Itwas proposed that farmers must be compensated for thespace used by the towers. To save farmers from loss ofland, permission to distribution companies has been grantedto use monopole. On an experimental basis, 25 towersare being erected.

It is essential to provide 24x7 power supply to India’sfinancial capital, Mumbai. The maximum demand of themetropolitan city is around 3,500 MW. Measures are beingtaken by Maharashtra State Electricity DistributionCompany Limited (MSEDCL) and Tata Power to reduce thegap between demand and supply. MSEDCL has undertakenwork for using higher capacity conductors in place of 220KVA Kharghar–Kalwa and Borivali–Boisar lines. There


“Our focus is on renewableenergy”Maharashtra has gone aggressive on power generation through non-conventional sources ofenergy such as wind and solar power. The new power projects arriving in the State have been providedvarious facilities, while the projects lagging behind have been accelerated

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C H A N D R AS H E K H A R B AWA N K U L EEnergy, New and Renewable Energy


“ should be emphasis onstrengthening the MSEDCLsystem. We are expandingthe capacity for Padgha,Kalwa, Babha leshwar andAkola at an expenditure of`140 crore approx.

Government of India is implementing Green EnergyCorridor project for large-scale electricity production andfor strengthening existing systems. The State has beensanctioned 27 distribution lines at an expenditure of `361crore. Sanction to the tune of `506 crore has been grantedfor relocation of trans mission lines from the area ofproposed Navi Mumbai International Airport. Somethermal electricity projects had been lagging behind. Anaction plan for the same was implemented and the projects

were accelerated. Now most ofthem are active at full capacity.

Supply of coal from Chhat -tisgarh has helped mitigate the coalshortage faced by Koradi andChandrapur plants. Koradi plantwill now receive Nagpur city’srecycled water from 130 MLDcapacity Bhandewadi project. Thisis the first-of-its-kind arrangement.A consultant has been appointedto map the feasibility of usingrecycled water from Nanded cityfor Parli generation centre in asimilar way. We are following upwith the Centre for increased supplyof fuel gas for a gas-based generationcentre at Uran to enhance itsproduction capacity. The State hasalso planned 7,500 MW solarpower generation through public-private partnerships.

The most important point inthe interest of the consumers was keeping the electricity ratesin check. A time-bound programme has been undertaken toimprove the efficiency of all electricity constituent companiesand reduce expenses. Proper disposal of fly ash from thermalpower plants is important from environment point of view.With a proper fly ash policy, nature can be conserved andemployment for the youth can be generated.

Out of 29,609 Gram Panchayats, a total of 27,101 nowhave a complaint book for registering electricity grievances.Anumber of facilities have been made avail able to consumers.The consumers can register their complaints on toll freenumbers 1800-233-3435 and 1800-200-3435. Under theGovernment of India Power System Development Fund, ithas been planned to restart Dabhol project soon.


II MM PP OO RR TT AA NN TT DD EE CC II SS II OO NN SS• It has been decided to produce 1,400 MW of electricalenergy from non-conventional energy sources.• New electricity generation projects given various facilities. • Over 27,000 Gram Panchayats can now register theirelectricity grievances.• The consumers can register their electricity-related com-plaints on toll free numbers 1800-233-3435 and 1800-200-3435.• Koradi plant to receive Nagpur city’s recycled waterfrom 130 MLD capacity Bhandewadi project.• The capacity of power plants at Padgha, Kalwa,Babhaleshwar and Akola to be expanded at an estimatedexpenditure of ̀ 140 crore. • The State has also planned 7,500 MW solar power generation through public-private partnerships.

“It is essential toprovide 24x7electricitysupply toMumbai. Itrequires around3,500 MW.MSEDCL hasundertakenwork for usinghigher capacityconductors inplace of 220 KVAKharghar–Kalwaand Borivali–Boisar lines

’’(From top) The targets set for wind and solar energy projects stand at5,000 MW and 7,500 MW, respectively, in next five years

he Government of Maharashtra has resolved toimplement and achieve ‘toilet at home andwater at doorstep’ maxim with a view to makeentire Maharashtra clean and water surplus.The whole State is reeling under lack ofdrinking water as a result of inadequate

rainfall. Due to the scarcity, Marathwada is in the shadow ofdrought. The State Government has stood firmly behind thedrought-affected population and is committed to enhance thehealth of these people by making available clean and puredrinking water. Through my department, I am confident thatwe shall overcome the drought condition this year.

Maharashtra has effectively implemented across itsdistricts the mega mission of Swachh Bharat Abhiyanlaunched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. By achievingopen defecation freedom (ODF) for a record 2,603 Gram

Panchayats, Maharashtra stands at No. 1 position in thecountry. A total of six talukas in the State, namely Devgad,Malvan, Gaganbawda, Jawali, Mahabaleshwar and Mulshihave attained ODF. The landmark is a result of the plannedactivities of the department over the past one year.

Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation(AMRUT) keenly looks at building water supply, drainage,urban transport and other urban facilities. The project islaunched to elevate standard of living in the cities through thesaid parameters. The project will be implemented in selected500 cities in India. Out of these, 43 cities are from Maha -rashtra. The mission will grant fund to the extent of `50,000crore from 2015-16 to 2019-20 across the entire Nation. Out ofthe 43 cities in Maharashtra, leaving the four A+, A and BClass cities, the implementing agency for the 39 cities will beMaharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP). The expanse andresponsibilities of the Water Supply Department has increasedwith AMRUT, and I thank Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavisfor the same. I consider provision of pure water to every nativeof Maharashtra through various schemes as my duty.

There is delegation of decision-making powers. The powerin case of tender acceptance of Rural Water Supply Scheme—up to ̀ 50 lakh—has been delegated to Gram Sabha. In case of`50 lakh to `7.5 crore, the power lies with Chief ExecutiveOfficer, Zilla Parishad. Grants will be directly disbursed toMJP. The grant where repair–maintenance of Rural WaterSupply Scheme is done by MJP, the grant will go directly fromthe Government to MJP. Third-party inspections have alsobeen made mandatory. Government polytechnics, engi -neering colleges and ITIs have been allowed to carry outinspections for the Rural Water Supply Scheme. Under this,two-stage technical inspections have been made compulsory.We are confident that with these inspections, the Rural WaterSupply Scheme will be completed as scheduled, withoutcomplaints and as per objective.

An important element of the Rural Water SupplyScheme is solar energy pumps. Solar Based Dual PumpMini Water Supply Scheme is being implementedsuccessfully in the State. Mauje Tumari Mendha inChandrapur is an example. A similar scheme is of springbased mini tap water supply. In many remote hilly areas,natural spring water is available. People living near thespring can get drinking water after it is accumulatedthrough a pipeline in a tank.

Water quality is also important. Under Centre’s National


“We shall overcome drought”Ensuring clean and pure drinking water to people, especially those in drought-affected districtsof Maharashtra is State’s first priority. The second mission is to make citizens realise the importanceof sanitation and motivate them to establish the virtue in and around them

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B A B A N R A O L O N I K A RWater Supply and Sanitation

Rural Drinking Water Programme, during 2014-15, the StateGovernment purchased 4,000 chemical test kits and 11.28 lakhfield testing kits for testing biological parameters of waterresources. These biological field kits will now be distributed toall Gram Panchayats, pre-primary Zilla Parishadschools/Tribal Ashram Shalas. Planning and implementation ofthe programme has been done at State, district, taluka andGram Panchayat level. A coordination committee has been setup with Rural Development Department and Public HealthDepartment. At present, 183 laboratories are carrying outinspection of biological and chemical constituents andTCL powder in drinking water. Maharashtra is doing excellentwork under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. The Nirmal Bharat

Abhiyan has been renamed asSwachh Bharat Abhiyan(Rural) by the Government ofIndia on October 2, 2014. Theprogramme has set October 2,2019 as target for achievingtotal freedom from open defecation. To date, 9,878 GramPanchayats and 11 talukas of the State have been honoured

with Government of India NirmalGram Award. Instructions havebeen issued for making availableat least one independent publictoilet each for ladies and gentsin every Government office foruse of visitors.

Maharashtra Golden JubileeRural Dalit Vasti Water Supplyand Sanitation Scheme is beingimplemented successfully. Underthis scheme SC, ST and Neo-buddhist families are beingfacilitated for individual tapsand toilets. These are availablewith admissible grant of `4,000for tap connection and `11,000for construction of a toilet perfamily.

—As told to Rahul Bhalerao


“ II MM PP OO RR TT AA NN TT DD EE CC II SS II OO NN SS• Maharashtra Golden Jubilee Rural Dalit Vasti Water Supplyand Sanitation Scheme is being implemented successfully.Under this scheme SC, ST and Neo-buddhist families arebeing facilitated for individual taps and toilets.• Solar Based Dual Pump Mini Water Supply Scheme is beingsuccessfully implemented in the State.• GIS asset mapping of water supply scheme by the Maharashtra Remote Sensing Applications Centre (MRSAC) • For inspection of heavy metals, an MoU has beensigned with National Environmental Engineering ResearchInstitute, Nagpur. • Till May 2015, 69,94,401 (56 per cent) of families have beenprovided support to have individual toilet. The target for2015-16 is to take the number to 17,43,264 families.

Minister for Water Supply and Sanitation, Babanrao Lonikar (right) takes part in a cleanliness drive

“A mobile app,Jal Suraksha hasbeen developedto supply cleandrinking water invillages. Emphasisis on developmentof villages throughtotal sanitation.Sant GadgebabaGram SwachhtaAbhiyan is alsobeingimplemented

’’

ocial Justice Department is an importantelement of the Government. As it serves thelowest strata of society, I feel honoured that theresponsibility has come to me. The Governmentis implementing many schemes for the deprivedand weaker sections, and the Department is

saddled with the work of taking these schemes to them.We have implemented many schemes during the last one

year. The most important decision has been that ofpurchasing the home where Bharat Ratna Dr. BabasahebAmbedkar stayed while he studied at London. The decisionwas taken by the State Government in October last year afterassuming power, and the task was completed by theDepartment of Social justice. The purchase is done and wehave the keys to the home. This can be called the most covetedachievement of the Department and an occasion to celebrate

for the followers of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and those whovalue his thoughts. We are going to create an international-quality memorial at this place. The move is supported by adecision to start a chair in the name of Dr. BabasahebAmbedkar at London School of Economics.

Year 2015 is the year of 125th birth anniversary of Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar. To remember the epitome that gavedirection to backward classes, the Department will celebratethe year as Equality and Social Justice Year with manyprogrammes to be organised throughout the year. A fund of`125 crore has been allocated for this. The first programme,Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Social Week, was organised fromApril 8 and 14, 2015 at Gateway of India, Mumbai.

During the ensuing year, rare photographs and literature ofBharat Ratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar will be published andmade available on the website. Publication of BharatiyaSanvidhan Uddeshika and Samata calendar, symposiums,discussions and workshops will be organised. The initiatives willbe given publicity through cultural programmes, shows, drama,radio, TV and social media. It has also been decided to give thestatus of ‘tourism destination’ to the places associated with thelife of the legend. On the lines of Dr. Babasaheb AmbedkarFoundation set up by the Government of India, Dr. BabasahebAmbedkar Samata Pratishthan will be set up in Maharashtra.

For caste verification and other related work to becompleted at a faster rate, a new administrative buildingand campus is being built near Pune for Dr. Babasaheb


“We must take everyone along”Looking at the deprived and weaker sections of society, the Department is launching many initiativesfor their welfare and skill development. The year 2015 being the 125th birth anniversary yearof Bharat Ratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, it would be observed as Equality and Social Justice Year

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The Maharashtra team including Minister Rajkumar Badole outside Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s London house


R A J K U M A R B A D O L ESocial Justice and Special Assistance

(

Ambedkar Research and Training Institute (BARTI). Toencourage the industrialists from Dalit community, a hugeexhibition will be held in Mumbai with products of Dalitindustrialists on display. Many well-educated, workingwomen, hailing from the community and living in cities likeMumbai, Pune and Nagpur lack proper accommodation. TheDepartment is going to establish working women hostels atthese cities to help them. The Government has also decidedto build girl hostels at 50 talukas. Each of these hostelswill have a capacity of 50.

The State Government is making a policy for theempowerment of differently abled persons so that they can leadan honourable life. The draft proposal has been sent to theCentre for approval. It is expected to be approved soon andready for implementation. In other schemes, the Departmentis giving 100 per cent grant to special schools. Last year, thegrant was given to 123 special schools. Persons and institutionsworking for the welfare of differently abled persons arehonoured with State handicapped welfare awards every year.The Maharashtra Government has prepared a proposal toestablish support homes for adult mentally retarded persons

o


“ above 23 years of age.State Coordination Com -

mittee and State Action Com -mittee have been establishedfor the welfare of differentlyabled people. Sanjay GandhiNiradhar Anudan Yojana, Gharkul Yojana, Handicapped SkillDevelopment Scheme, Handicapped Welfare Commissionerate,strengthen ing of Maharashtra State Handicapped Finance &Development Corporation and computerised certification aresome of the works done. Skill development programmes arebeing organised by BARTI across the State. I am proud to saythat about 900 persons have gained employment from theprogramme at Gondia. Ten thousand youth registered for theprogramme on August 17-18, 2015, at Nagpur.

The State Government encourages the youth to appear forthe UPSC Examination and work at higher posts. Many

youth from backward classes alsoappear for the examination. However,due to lack of proper guidance, theyare not always successful. BARTIwill now help them. Fifty boysand girls from backward sectionsof society who clear the prelims ofthe examination will be trained atwell-known residential coachingclasses. The arrangements will bedone at Nagpur, Pune and Delhi.Residential training centres forpreparing candidates for UPSC andMaharashtra Public Service Com -mission examinations have beenestablished at Pune, Nagpur andAurangabad.

—As told to NandkumarWaghamare

“The mostimportantdecision of theDepartment hasbeen that ofpurchasing thehome whereBharat RatnaDr. BabasahebAmbedkarstayed while hestudied inLondon

’’

II MM PP OO RR TT AA NN TT DD EE CC II SS II OO NN SS• The Department completed the process of purchasing thehome where Bharat Ratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar stayedwhile he studied at London School of Economics. • State Coordination Committee and State Action Committeeset up for the welfare of the differently abled people. • Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yojana, Gharkul Yojana,Handicapped Skill Development Scheme, HandicappedWelfare Commissionerate, strengthening of MaharashtraState Handicapped Finance & Development Corporationand computerised certification are some of the workdone during past one year. • Skill development programmes are being organisedby BARTI across the State. About 900 persons have gainedemployment from the programme at Gondia.

London house (From left) Minister for Social Justice, Rajkumar Badole with Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari and Sushma Swaraj during a meeting in New Delhi


n the occasion of 125th birth anniversary ofBharat Ratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, year2015-16 has been declared as the year of Equalityand Social Justice Year. Make in Maharashtra is

being implemented by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Researchand Training Institute (BARTI), Pune through various skilldevelopment programmes. Free coaching classes werearranged for SC candidates appearing for UPSC examinationthrough BARTI. Caste verification committees have beenestablished at all districts. For effective implementation ofthe SC/ST Atrocities Prevention Act 1989, special courts areto be established at six divisional centres, out of which threeare already functional.

The foreign education scholarship scheme for SC candi -dates has been improved. Institutes for minorities will now beable to fill their information online and 14 hostels for girls fromminority section will be active from June next year. Decisionson a survey of Wakf properties under Act, 1995, Urdu to bemade an optional subject in Marathi schools, permission forsetting up Urdu Ghar at Jalgaon, Bhiwandi and Malegaon,and a new polytechnic at Muktainagar, Jalgaon have beentaken. The National School Safety Programme has beenimplemented in 400 schools in Pune and Satara with fullgrant from Government of India. It has created awarenessabout disaster management.


Os a Minister of State for Revenue and GuardianMinister, Yavatmal, I have insisted on a resonantrelationship between citizens and administrationthat can bring society-oriented, good governance.

I held the first-in-the-State Samadhan Shibir under Maha -rashtra Suvarna Jayanti Nagarotthan Maha-Abhiyan inYavatmal district.

I am quite passionate about relieving Yavatmal fromdrought through Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan. Yavatmal has alsogone for a river rejuvenation project. To bring good healthservices to people and financial assistance to needy patients,Maa Arogya Seva Samiti has been set up. We have also built awell-equipped Matoshree Waiting Room and Rest House in thecampus of Government Medical College, Yavatmal, withfacilities such as toilets, pure water and arrangements fortaking rest. To curb farmer suicides, farmer families areprovided seeds, fertilisers and other related farm facilitiesbefore the beginning of Kharif harvest. Baliraja ChetanaAbhiyan is a new project aimed at farmers.

We have also increased the stamp duty powers. With thisAct and remedial measures for stamp duty recovery and onlinesystems, the revenue is expected to increase. The challansSMATS (SMS-based Mining Approval and Tracking System) isbeing implemented by the Revenue Department to weed outmonopoly of sand mafia and control illegal transport of sand.

—As told to Sanjay Orke

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“Government mustbe people-friendly”Governance should be people governance andadministration should be people administration iswhat has driven Government’s efforts

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“Working for socialequality and justice”An inclusive society with focus on skill developmentand ensuring equal rights for all is the way to go

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MILESTONESMINISTERS OF STATE

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D I L I P K A M B L ESocial Justice & Special Assistance, Relief & Rehabilitation, EarthquakeRehabilitation, Minorities Development & Wakf, State Excise

SA NJAY R AT H O DRevenue


n s a Minister of State, I have been bestowed with theresponsibility of Women and Child Welfare, Foodand Civil Supplies, Consumer Protection and DrugsAdministration. Maharashtra has been in the

forefront in effective planning and implementation of variousschemes for women and children. The State Government hasproposed Mazee Kanya Bhagyashree on the lines of BetiBachao, Beti Padhao scheme by the Government of India forprohibition of female infanticide and enhancing theparticipation of women in education. We are emphasising onremoval of malnutrition in women and children. TheMaharashtra Government has decided to make it mandatoryfor children remand homes to enroll their inmates for BalAadhaar cards. I plan to focus on improvement of remandhomes with establishment of CCTV systems to get priority.Emphasis will be also laid on providing skill development,hostels at these homes, medical facilities, workshops andentertainment programmes for students.

My mission is that no one remains hungry in the State.Initiatives such as doorstep scheme, biometric system, trackingsystem for transport of foodgrains, updated lists ofbeneficiaries, computerisation of ration cards and others arebeing emphasised. All godowns in the State are being linkedwith computerisation. The taluka level-godowns have beenincluded and GPS system will be used.


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“Malnutritionmust be eliminated”The Government aims at an all-round developmentof women and children, and to ensure food for all

n being inducted as a Minister of State, I was giventhe responsibility of the department of Cooperation.The foundation of Cooperative movement was laidin Maharashtra itself and we plan to move ahead in

the direction. There is a decision to provide interest grant formaking long-term loans available for payment of FRP to thefarmers supplying sugarcane to sugar factories. Consideringthe recurring drought situation, there is a decision to convertshort-term loans to medium-term loans.

Financial assistance of ̀ 171.30 crore has been sanctionedto Vidarbha and Marathwada farmers to free them from loanstaken from licensed money lenders. There is a decision toprovide a concession in case of amount of ̀ 946 crore due from37,766 farmer clients of Land Development Bank. Theconcession applies to an amount of `713 crore. There is adecision to enhance the period of repayment from three to fiveyears for loans after their conversion to medium term fromshort term. An assistance of `380 crore has been sanctionedunder to district central cooperative banks at Nagpur, Wardhaand Buldhana. A survey is being conducted for cooperativesocieties that have been closed to cancel their registration.The State has 2.40 lakh cooperative societies. We will seethat the societies recover the amounts due as per rulesand follow the provisions of section 44 of Maharashtra Co -operatives Act, 1960 judiciously.

—As told to Ajay Jadhav

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“The State is in a new era of cooperatives”The Government would do everything to safeguardfarmers’ interest and assist district banks financially

S M T . V I DYA T H A K U RWomen and Child Development, Food and Civil Supplies and ConsumerProtection, Food and Drugs Administration

DA DA J I B H US ECo-operation



alyukta Shivar Abhiyan is for perennial agricultureand drinking water, which includes holding thewater, increasing the level of ground water, creatingdecentralised water storages, taking up new works

for water storage and repair of water resources such as lakesand dams. To make 5,000 villages drought free every year, weare committed to create tanker-free Maharashtra anddrought-free Maharashtra by 2019.

Target-based projects under corporate social responsibilitywere made available as a policy on April 10, 2015. Thepermission to issue administrative sanction for 22 minorirrigation/reservoirs and khar land projects on hold was givenin February. Similarly, 28 minor irrigation/reservoirs weregiven revised administrative sanctions in May 2015.

With a view to effectively use available water, it has beendecided to accelerate river-linking project for Damanganga andPar–Tapi rivers. Survey and investigation of mega rechargeproject in Tapi valley has been sanctioned. All the backlog andprojects where more than 75 per cent investments have beenmade will be completed and half of the incomplete projects willbe completed on priority basis by 2019. An MoU for permissionto use water from Ukai Dam for Maharashtra Sardar Sarovarproject affected people was signed between Maharashtra andGujarat on January 7, 2015. Special Rejuvenation Mission forold Malgujari lakes has been undertaken.


“To create tanker anddrought-free State”With a view to effectively use available water, it hasbeen decided to accelerate river-linking project forDamanganga and Par–Tapi rivers

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Jtrategic decisions have been taken by the Govern -ment for strengthening and empowerment of Policeforce. These include decentralisation of powers totransfer, delegation of administrative approval

powers in case of Police Housing Scheme to Board of Directorsand increase in the daily allowance of officers/staff in lieu ofweekly off. A degree from Forensic Science Institute has beenequated to other graduate degrees. Two new forensic sciencelaboratories have been established at Kolhapur and Nandedand a proposal for setting up mobile forensic support units at45 locations is under consideration.

Under Swadesh Darshan, the Government of India hasselected Sindhudurg, on which a detailed project report for`102.11 crore has been submitted to the Centre. MaharashtraTourism Development Corporation has prepared a mobile app,Maha Explorer to help tourists get information on key touristspots. Aurangabad has been announced as a touristdestination.

Bal Arogya Abhiyan, Arogyavardhini and Rajiv GandhiJeevandayee Arogya Yojana have been implemented in theState. Shiv Arogya Telemedicine Yojana and OperationKayapalat are also implemented. Safety of the State,empowerment of farmers and distribution system for gainingrates for agro produce has been implemented. However, muchhas to be done still to ensure a healthy life to all citizens.


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“Prosperous andsafe Maharashtra”Key initiatives include empowerment of farmers,better distribution system and safety of State

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P R O F. R A M S H I N D EHome (Rural), Marketing, Public Health, Tourism, Agriculture and Horticulture

V I JAY S H I V TA R EWater Resources, Water Conservation, Parliamentary Affairs


here has been substantial work carried out by thedepartments of Transport, Public Works (PublicUndertakings), Labour and Textiles, for which Iam responsible as a Minister of State. The Labour

Department has taken steps to ensure that workers from theorganised and unorganised sector get their justified rights.

Key decisions include consti tuting a board for sugarcaneharvesting workers under the Maharashtra Mathadi, Hamaland other Manual Workers Act, reconstitution of MathadiKamgar Mandal, setting up of National Social Security Board,establishment of a tripartite committee for considering thedemands of sugar factory workers.

Textile Department is emphasising on processing everymodule of cotton produced in the State and building a largeemployment potential with an Integrated ProcessingDevelopment Scheme for textiles. The first mega textile parkhas been started at Nandgaon Peth in Amravati.Comprehensive efforts are being made for the acceleration oftextile industries such as handloom, power loom, spinningmills and others. The key decisons of the Transport Departmentinclude reservation of the seat for women in share a cab, a newregional transport office at Borivali, a vehicle testing andinspection centre at Nashik, establishment of State Road SafetyCouncil and others. We are following up with the Governmentof India for fixing the minimum milk price for the State.

—As told to Irshad Bagwan

Tn last few years, Maharashtra had to face continuousnatural calamities such as drought, unseasonal rainsand hailstorms. A provision of `1,000 crore was madeunder the Jalyukta Shivar Yojana. Irrigation projects

and building basic infrastructure were other areas of focus. While working as Minister of State for Finance and

Planning, my efforts are towards creating infrastructure foragriculture and rural development. Simultaneously, otherconstituents such as farmers, women and youth are also beingconsidered. The Budget also had provision for agricultureschemes, irrigation, roads, electricity, rural housing, industry,tourism, forests, skill development, education, health andwomen empowerment. More importantly, the objective is toestablish Make in Maharashtra, so that economy of the Stateis rejuvenated.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a call for CleanIndia. As Minister of State for Rural Development, it is myduty to take this call to every village. Construction of toilets inevery village, keeping the area clean and eradicating opendefecation are our targets. While implementing the cleanlinessmovement at villages, it is essential to create various forms ofemployment, good schools and primary health centres.

Roads, sanitation, nallahs, drinking water and toiletsmake a village become self-sufficient. As a Minister of State,I have concentrated on making every village self-sufficient.


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The Government aims to create infrastructure foragriculture and rural development

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“Substantial workin public interest”In past one year, efforts have been made to protectworkers’ rights and initiate development schemes

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“Every village must be self-sufficient”

V I JAY D E S H M U K HPublic Works (Public Undertakings), Transport, Labour, Textiles, AnimalHusbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries

D E E PA K K E SA R K A RFinance, Rural Development, Planning


he Government is implementing various schemes tointegrate tribal communities into the mainstream ofIndian society. Tribal students are being empoweredso that they make an indelible mark in the present

world of competitiveness. The State Government is providingfinance to private institutes for running Ashram Shalas andpermission for opening a college as extension of Ashram Shala.

As per Government Resolution dated April 21, 2015, 5 percent free and direct funding scheme under the Tribal Sub-planfor Gram Panchayat in Scheduled Areas has been launched.There will be direct disbursement of PESA Gram Panchayatfunds by the Government to the Gram Sabha, which is ̀ 258.50crore for 2015-16. Five members of the Gram Sabha FundCommittee at every PESA Gram Panchayat will be trainedthrough Yashada. A three-day training module has been createdto be provided on cluster level during October/November,for which a provision of ̀ 2.53 crore has been made.

Annapurna central kitchens have been set up atMundegaon in Nashik and Kambalgaon in Palghar withcooperation from Tata Trust and Akshaypatra Foundation. Boththe kitchens are equipped to make 60,000 meals per day. Inalliance with UNICEF, a programme titled WASH (Water,Sanitation and Hygiene) has been started from this year. APJAbdul Kalam Amrut Yojana aims to provide nutrition topregnant and lactating women in tribal areas.


Tn case of Housing, the quality of buildings ofMaharashtra Housing and Development Authorityand slum development buildings (Rehab) should be ofsame quality of the buildings built for sale. A list will

be made on the capacity of the developer based on hisfinancial standing, stability and experience. Unless thedeveloper is listed, he will not be able to enter into a contractwith cooperative housing societies. No developer canundertake more work than his capacity. There is a decisionthat if the developer gives possession without occupationcertificate (OC), all the expenses such as electricity, repair,maintenance, Property Tax and others have to be paid by himtill the OC is not received. For development of Koliwadaand Gaothan, appropriate provisions should be made inthe development plans and rules. Families staying intransit camps with appropriate documents should beconsidered authentic.

Permission for new batches in colleges should be givenon the basis of regions and need. There is a decision tooffer qualitative higher education in rural areas. A decisionhas been taken to start a model college at Ambadve, theoriginal place of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. SindhuSwadhyay Sanstha—for courses related to ocean, fromvocational level to post-graduation and doctorate—has beenstarted at Ratnagiri.


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“Building affordable,but quality homes”Strict and clear rules on housing and slumdevelopment are important for inclusive developmentof Maharashtra and its people

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“Integrating tribalsinto the mainstream”Education and nutrition can empower the backwardcommunities and help them to integrate intomainstream society

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R A J E A M B R I S H R A O AT R A MTribal Development

R AV I N D R A WAY K A RHousing, Higher and Technical Education


h arious measures for improving the proportion ofconviction in criminal cases and a decision topresent Nirbhaya Puraskar awards to peopleworking against atrocities on women have been

annnounced. The deferred project for CCTV has been placedon stream and a total of 6,020 CCTV cameras are being placedat 1,500 locations in Mumbai. A total of 1,285 CCTV cameraswill be placed at 438 locations in Pune and Pimpri–Chinchwad. For port development, efforts are being made forconnecting ports to railway routes and highways.

The Smart City project is being carried out under UrbanDevelopment Department in two phases over five years.During the first phase, ten cities have been selected. The Stateis also working on Skill India mission given by Prime MinisterNarendra Modi, under which the target of skilled manpowerfor Maharashtra is pegged at 4.5 crore. Pramod Mahajan Skilland Entrepreneurship Development Mission is beingimplemented and there are plans to create a skill developmentuniversity and centre of excellence multi skilling centres inalliance with industrial houses, streamlining of websites forMahakaushalya, employment and self-employment andsetting up call centres. A provision of `161 crore has beenmade for FY 2015-16. The target for this year is 5 lakh skilledyouth and making available employment and self-employment opportunities to them.


Vonsidering the increasing population of the State,industrialisation, tourism development andcommunication reforms, the road development planproposes to construct 3,36,000 km of roads within

next five years. Road projects worth more than ̀ 50 lakh will beimplemented with SCADA. The information on roads will becompiled through information technology and a roadmanagement system will be used for planning and sanctioningnew projects and control. To bring alive the concept of Make inMaharashtra, the State Government has taken the initiativeof simplifying essential licenses to start an industry,approving new projects and a single-window clearance facilityfor investments of ̀ 100 crore or more.

The Government has taken a policy decision to establishMineral Development Foundation in every district. Theindustries in Mithi river area have been issued instructionsto close down to reduce pollution and ̀ 5 crore will be allottedfor area’s beautification. Municipalities have to ensure propermanagement of solid waste. Instructions have been issued tostop production of polyethylene bags less than 50 microns.

As a Guardian Minister of Amravati, a vision plan hasbeen drafted for the district. I am happy that Amravati cityfinds a place in the list of proposed Smart Cities. Aninnovative concept of tele-secretariat has been brought alivefor public to contact in case of complaints.


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“The Statewill growwith good roads”The road development plan proposes to construct3,36,000 km of roads within next five years

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“Skills to youth willmake the difference”Focus is on basic infrastructure, even as skilland entrepreneurship development gets attention

D R . R A NJ I T PAT I LHome (Urban), Urban Development, General Administration, Law and Judiciary, Parliamentary Affairs, Skill Development andEntrepreneurship, Ports and Ex-Servicemen’s Welfare

P R AV I N P O T E PAT I LIndustries and Mining, Environment, Public Works(excluding Public Undertakings)


PHOTO GALLERYFROM THE CENTRE

Last one year saw State leaders visiting the Capital for mega meetings,events and deliberations. The trips led to project approvals, financialassistance from the Centre and occasions for sharing State’s views withthe national leadership. MMaahhaarraasshhttrraa AAhheeaadd revisits the best moments

Maharashtra@Delhi

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1. Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao calls onPresident of India Pranab Mukherjee 2. Prime Minister Narendra Modi withChief Minister Devendra Fadnavis during aNiti Aayog meeting 3. Chief Minister withUnion Minister for Environment andForests Prakash Javadekar. 4. Union HRDMinister Smriti Irani with State EducationMinister Vinod Tawde 5. Chief Ministers ofMaharashtra and Gujarat at the launch ofNational Skill Development Mission 6.Chief Minister meets Union Minister Food,Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs,Ram Vilas Paswan 7. Union FinanceMinister Arun Jaitely with State FinanceMinister Sudhir Mungantiwar 8. PrimeMinister and Chief Minister during themeet on setting up of Niti Aayog 9. ChiefMinisters of Uttarakhand, Maharashtra,Karnataka, Haryana and Mizoram at thesub-committee meeting for Swacch BharatAbhiyan 10. Union Finance Minister ArunJaitely with State Cabinet delegation led bythe Chief Minister 11. MaharashtraMinisters with Union Minister for RoadTransport, Highways and Shipping NitinGadkari on Mumbai–Nagpur Expressway

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hief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was recentlyinterviewed by a daily newspaper. The reporter’slast question to him was, “Which has been themost memorable moment of your life this pastyear?” To this, the reply was, the moment whenhe was sworn as the Chief Minister.

The said moment was witnessed by the entire State onOctober 31, 2014. The day saw the initiation of a new, goodgovernance to be lead by Devendra Fadnavis. October 31,2015 marks the completion of one year under the rule of thenew Government. The Directorate General of Informationand Public Relations (DGIPR) has had the honour ofwitnessing each moment under his leadership since itsinception. It has documented and published the moments ofimportance through its five channels of communication.

This task was taken in hand on October 31, 2014. Not onlydid the DGIPR ensure the promotion of the oath ceremony of

the Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues, it also made sureto be the first one to interview the leader. Quite rightly, this wasmade possible by DGIPR’s extremely inspiring Secretary,Manisha Patankar-Mhaiskar. She got in touch with the to-beChief Minister beforehand and explained the strength andreach of Directorate’s mediums. His time was taken for anappearance on Jai Maharastra immediately after the oathceremony. Just like Maharashtra was exposed to a new realm,the DGIPR also experienced the historical event for the firsttime. In his interview, the Chief Minister expressed his visionto lead Maharashtra on the path to development andprosperity. This interview was later aired by other channels.

We chose Change in Progress as a theme for the newGovernment and released advertisements, hoardings andarticles in Lokrajya. For November 2014, a lot of thought wentinto the editions of Lokrajya, Maharashtra Ahead and UrduLokrajya. The incredible weight of progressive branding of the

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INFORMATIONEXCHANGE

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The past one year has been a journey for Directorate General of Information and Public Relations, as itschannels worked relentlessly with the new Government to take ahead its many endeavours

From Government to people

(Clockwise from top) Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis during an interview to Jai Maharashtra, Simhastha Kumbh Mela, Cabinet Ministers Ramdas Kadam, Rajkumar Badole, Subhash Desai, Smt. Pankaja Munde, Sudhir Mungantiwar and Eknath Khadse


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Chief Minister and his Cabinet was on our shoulders. Wemanaged a successful execution from the first edition itself.Every following edition expertly showcased the programmes,decisions and strategies of the Government.

For economic, finance and foundation policies, theGovernment announced Make in Maharashtra to propel theState to new heights in industrial investment andinfrastructure. Programmes and policies were introducedaccordingly. Lokrajya took it upon itself to give theprogramme the required strength. To give character to Makein Maharashtra, the Deputy Director of our ExhibitionDepartment, Seema Ranalkar designed a logo that eventuallyturned out to become the face of the programme. Everymoment of the Make in Maharashtra movement wasdocumented and published by Lokrajya and MaharashtraAhead. The documentation on the programme is availablewith the DGIPR on a monthly basis.

The Chief Minister’s support to Jalyukta Shivar Yojanawas also successfully promoted by Lokrajya, MaharashtraAhead, Urdu Lokrajya, Jai Maharashtra (Doordarshan),Dilkhulas (Akash wani) and Mahanews (web portal). Manydistrict officers wrote about the resounding success of theprogramme in local newspapers to make people aware andturn it into a public movement. Team Lokrajya travelledto many districts in Maharashtra for a detailed cover

story. Almost every mediumtook notice and published theincidents revolving aroundthe flagship scheme.

Mahanews, our web portal,directed total attention to thescheme. Created by our team, the news files and jingles on theprogramme turned out to be great hits. Sections on theinterviews of Maharashtra Ministers in the UnionGovernment, interviews of Cabinet Ministers and a day with aMinister were introduced. Through these, we brought to light

the Ministers’ point of view aboutissues such as progress of State,plans and strategies.

For increase of investment,business and employment in theState, we covered all the foreigntrips of the Chief Minister. Maha-Udhyog-Rashtra, a section inLokrajya and Maharashtra Aheadregistered huge success. Anexclusive interview with theMinister for Industries was airedon Jai Maharashtra. Swachh Maha -rashtra Abhiyan was promoted well,and all the credit for its successgoes to Mahanews, Jai Maharashtra

SwachhMaharashtraAbhiyanwas promotedwell, and thecredit for itssuccess goes toMahanews,Jai Maharashtra,Dilkhulas,Lokrajya andMaharashtraAhead

(Clockwise from top) Channels of DGIPR: Lokrajya, Maharashtra Ahead,Urdu Lokrajya, Dilkhulas, Mahanews and Jai Maharashtra

Subhash Desai, Smt. Pankaja Munde, Sudhir Mungantiwar and Eknath Khadse

and Dilkhulas. Lokrajya and Maharashtra Ahead created aspecial edition detailing the campaign under the theme, Aclean, green and smart State in the making. The ExhibitionDepartment created a beautiful and compelling logo, which wasthen brought to the audience through advertisements andhoardings. The Film Division (Documentary) created docu -mentaries to drive across the seriousness of the campaign. TheChief Minister took the oath of seven steps to cleanlinessamong the representatives and officers at four different places.To create the right atmosphere for the growth of the campaign,the District Information Department extended full support. Wealso created attractive banners and backdrops for this event.

WE, THE DIGITAL PEOPLEThe new Government proved to be the harbinger of change anddevelopment. The DGIPR brought this up with sinceritythrough its channels. We made use of digital platforms all yearthrough. Akola, Chandrapur, Wardha, Pune, Nagpur, Thane,Nashik and on other districts was made available via Facebook.Some district officers also took to Twitter as a means to shareinformation with public. Our various Whatsapp groups turnedout to be legendary. These groups increased connectivity amongthe DGIPR groups. The CM News on Whatsapp is a sure-shotway to participate in Government’s programmes.

The incredible success of the Kumbh Mela at Nashik andTrimbakeshwar is another feather to our cap. The efforts takenby Nashik Divisional Information Office and DGIPR for thesuccess of this event were commendable. The hi-tech mediacentre built for national and international media persons wasexceptionally helpful. The DGIPR took the lead for buildingmulti-cam technology for the live telecast of Shahi Snan. Thismade it possible to screen the event on more than three channelsat once. The usual sea of cameras was absent, leading to costsaving. The event was publicised on Facebook and Twitter.

The advertisements and billboards proved to be attractive

and influential in driving more andmore devotees to the Mela. The adswere published in every publicationof the State. The jingles created bythe Film Division kept audienceshooked, creating a great vibearound the event. Along with Maha -rashtrian channels, the event wascovered by national channelstoo. Simhasta Samvaad, a newseries was launched on Mahanews.Lokrajya and Maharashtra Aheadalso presented the latest on theKumbh Mela with a special cover -age in their editions. The specialissue was published in July.

AWARD CEREMONYThe DGIPR conducts an awardceremony to honour excellence injournalism and to dedicate lifetimeawards. The awards weren’t givenfor the past three years. Thisyear, however, we conducted the

ceremony with pomp and show. The event was organisedunder the guidance of the Chief Minister in January. We nowplan to give away the awards in the same year itself, and basedon the suggestions of the Chief Minister, the awards willinclude the category of social media.

The DGIPR has outdone itself in the past year indepartments of writing, photography and media. Under theguidance of Secretary Manisha Patankar-Mhaiskar andDirector General Chandrashekhar Oak, we have become theconnecting cord between the Government and the people.

—Suresh Wandile


INFORMATIONEXCHANGE

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the award ceremony conducted by DGIPR to honour excellence in journalism in Mumbai

The ExhibitionDepartmentcreated a logo forSwachh Maha rashtraAbhiyan, whichwas then broughtto the audiencethroughadvertisementsand hoardings

The flagship scheme ofChief Minister DevendraFadnavis, Jalyukta Shivar

Abhiyan aims to bring waterempowerment to 25,000drought-affected villages ofMaharashtra within the nextfive years. The scheme thataims to relieve the State fromits ongoing water scarcity hasbeen going strong with vil-lages building infrastructureto store rainwater for long.

Perennial water can pro-vide regular water for agricul-

ture, enhance the water levelin the area and maintain soilmoisture. The integratedeffect of all these will reflecton agriculture production.

The primary objective ofJalyukta Shivar Abhiyan is toestablish the belief in afarmer that, “every drop ofrainwater is owned by meand the same should perco-late in my land.” The Agricul-ture Department has alsolinked integrated watersheddevelopment programmewith Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan.A large-scale tree plantation isalso being undertaken in vil-lages to avoid soil erosion.

The purpose of JalyuktaShivar Abhiyan is to rejuve-nate the State’s natural waterresources. Works of compart-ment bunding, desiltation,mud nalla bunding, cementcheck dams, repairs of bund-ing, farm ponds, village talao,refilling of wells, rechargeshaft, drip irrigation andsprinkle irrigation have beenundertaken. The programmehas a latent capacity of usher-ing in economic prosperitythrough water prosperity.

Maharashtra is gearing upto be not just the num-ber one State in India,

but also the best place to manu-facture. Chief Minister DevendraFadnavis has successfully pro-moted Make in Maharashtra

globally and received an over-whelming response from globalbusiness community. Foreign di-rect investment followed withauto majors General Motors an-nouncing to invest additional`6,400 crore in Pune and

Chrysler assuring an investmentof `2,000 crore in the State.

Maharashtra’s image as aninvestment-friendly destinationgot a boost on a global platformwhen it won the bid for Foxconn’s$5 billion deal. Maharashtra’sMoU with Cisco on the SmartCities project, starting with Nag-pur as a pilot project, is anotherfeather in State’s cap.

Chief Minister Devendra Fad-navis’ presence at the World Eco-nomic Forum in Switzerland,Hannover Industrial Fair in Ger-many and Agritech 2015 in Israelemphasised that Maharashtra hasrolled out a red carpet to compa-nies to set up operations. His visitsto China, USA and Japan wereother milestones in the journey ofMake in Maharashtra.

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HIGHLIGHTSFLAGSHIP SCHEMES

JalyuktaShivar Abhiyanaims to bring waterempowerment to25,000 villages innext five years


The game changersThe first year of Government of Maharashtra saw various schemesand people-friendly initiatives for a sustainable and inclusivedevelopment. PPaallllaavvii SSiinngghh lists the moves that made the difference

JALYUKTA SHIVAR ABHIYAN

GOING THE DROUGHT–FREE WAY

MAKE IN MAHARASHTRA

FROM RED TAPE TO RED CARPET

Abrainchild of Chief MinisterDevendra Fadnavis, the AapleSarkar portal was launched on

January 26 to provide a platform tothe common man for redressal of one’sgrievances. The portal has so far re-ceived 9,200 complaints, of which 78per cent have been solved. Grievancesfrom the portal are also taken up dur-ing the online Lokshahi Din.

The Chief Minister launched thesecond phase of the portal onIndependence Day this year. In its sec-ond phase, Aaple Sarkar will be imple-mented at the district level on pilotbasis, covering Thane, Nashik, Pune,Aurangabad, Nagpur and Amravati.The portal has also included a link toRight to Services Act. The third phaseof the portal is expected to belaunched on Republic Day next year.

AAPLE SARKAR

FOR THE PEOPLE,BY THE PEOPLE


Following the launch ofSwachh Bharat Abhiyan, theState Government launched

Swachh Maharashtra Abhiyan.The State will be implementingthe seven elements of SwachhBharat Abhiyan given by PrimeMinister Narendra Modi acrossthe State. The ‘seven steps tocleanliness’ constitute firmresolve to participate, extensivepublic participation, 100 percent use of toilets, waste collec-tion—classification—transport,scientific processing of wastes,

processing of drainage waterand creation of GreenMaharashtra. Sanitation is themost important area addressedby the programme. Maharashtrais aiming to wipe out open defe-cation by 2018. In its first stage,

19 cities in the State achievedopen defecationfreedom with solid wastemanagement practices in place.Under Swachh MaharashtraAbhiyan, the State Governmenthas focused on both urban andrural areas. The success storieswill be felicitated for theirgood work, encouraging othersto embrace sanitation and maketheir cities clean. Talukas thatcelebrated open defecation thisyear include Mahabaleshwarand Jawli from Satara,Gaganbawda in Kolhapur,Devgad, Malwan, Vengurla,Sawantwadi and Kanakavalifrom Sindhudurg.

The Maharashtra Governmenthas begun implementingthe Maharashtra Guarantee

of Public Services (MGPS) Actwith effect from October 2,2015. In the first phase, 224 ser-vices from 12 State Governmentdepartments have been identi-fied and more would be intro-duced gradually. TheGovernment has so far launched42 services online and plans areafoot to introduce more soon.Chief Minister DevendraFadnavis added that theGovernment is formulating atime-frame within which officerswill have to ensure availability ofGovernment services. Delay in

providing the services would re-sult in action against the officer.

Among the services that areimmediately available include is-suing documents like birth andcaste certificates, domicile certifi-cates, ration cards, licenses forsmall business establishments,etc. According to StateGovernment officials, those ap-plying for a service will be givenan acknowledgement in writingor electronically or through SMS,specifying date, time, place,unique complaint number, partic-ulars of complainant with stipu-lated disposal time frame.Besides State Government em-ployees, civic bodies, town andcountry planning departmentsand Panchayats are brought un-der the Right to Services Act.

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TThe State Government took a

decision in 138th annualmeeting of Mumbai

Metropolitan Region DevelopmentAuthority by sanctioning `35,400crore for a 118-km expansion ofMetro network in Mumbai. Themetro network will includeDahisar-Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd Metro-2 corridor—`12,000 crore and 40 km,Wadala–Ghatkopar–Thane–Kasarvadavali Metro-4 via WadalaGPO and R.A.Kidwai Marg—`12,000 crore and 40 km,Dahisar-E–Andheri-E–Bandra-EMetro-5 corridor—`8,100 croreand 27 km long and Jogeshwari–Vikhroli Link Road Metro-6 corri-dor—`3,300 crore and 11 kmlong. The State Government hasalso approved two new detailedproject reports—one for the 16.5km Andheri-E to Dahisar-E Metrocorridor and the other for 18.6km Dahisar to D.N. Nagar Metrocorridor—prepared by the DelhiMetro Rail Corporation, andhas estimated the corridors at acost of `4,737 crore and `4,994crore, respectively.

The Government has alsogiven administrative approval tothe expenditure of `743.73 crorefor the construction of three ele-vated roads to clear traffic chaosat Bandra–Kurla Complex andSantacruz–Chembur junctions.

State is aiming towipe out opendefecation by 2018. Inits first stage, 19 citiesachieved opendefecation freedom

The Government ofMaharashtra has set a targetof strengthening about

35,000 km of rural roads incoming seven years underMukhyamantri Gram SadakYojana, the State’s version of a

similar Union GovernmentScheme. Under the Statescheme, the Rural DevelopmentDepartment plans to take uproads not included in the UnionGovernment’s Pradhan MantriGram Sadak Yojana.

The Central scheme is forstrengthening the rural road net-work, mainly in unconnectedhabitations with a populationabove 500, villages in hilly ar-eas, and desert and tribal areaswith a population of over 250.The State-level scheme is alsoconsidering tribal villages with anominal population of 100. Theproposal is expected to come up

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SWACHH MAHARASHTRA ABHIYAN

BUILDING A CLEAN STATE

RIGHT TO SERVICES ACT

IT IS TIME TO SERVE

MASS TRANSIT CHEER

MUMBAI METROTO EXPAND

MUKHYAMANTRI GRAM SADAK YOJANA

THE CHANGING RURAL LANDSCAPE


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The 1.3-km elevated roadrunning from MTNL junction toLBS Flyover and the 3.45-km el-evated road from Kurla (KapadiaNagar) to Vakola near WesternExpress Highway (`480.63 crore)will help clear SCLR junction.The 1.9-km elevated road fromBharat Diamond Bourse in ‘G’Block to Vakola junction nearWestern Express Highway(`263.09 crore) will help decon-gest BKC junction as the mo-torists will be able to reachVakola straight from the ‘G’Block in the Bandra–KurlaComplex avoiding BKC junction.

PUNE METRO PROJECTGETS CENTRE’S NODThe proposed project for the PuneMetro has received Centre’s nod,paving the way for over `11,000-crore work for overhead rails toease the worsening traffic conges-

tion in the city. The project will bea “mixed one” with both under-ground and elevated corridors, in-formed Chief Minister DevendraFadnavis. As per the recommen-dations of the project report pre-pared for Pune Metro by DelhiMetro Rail Corporation, the cityshould have the first phase corri-dor (Swargate to Nigdi) under-ground on the route goingthrough congested areas, whilethe second (Vanaz to Ramwadi)could be an elevated one.

MIHAN’S PRIZED POSSESSION With Reliance Industries decidingto set up an aerospace park inMIHAN, Nagpur metro rail hasassumed a lot of importance.Multi-modal International CargoHub and Airport at Nagpur (MIHAN) is an important projectfor Dr. Babasaheb AmbedkarInternational Airport, Nagpur.

The aerospace park is expectedto increase employment. Lot ofpeople living in different parts ofNagpur will travel to MIHAN forwork and the metro rail will pro-vide a safe and fast way oftravel. The work on the `8,680crore project has started.

The State Government has ex-tended full cooperation toNagpur Metro Rail CorporationLimited (NMRCL), the specialpurpose vehicle (SPV) set up toconstruct and run the metro rail.NMRCL would employ 10,000locals for construction work. Oneimportant aspect of the project issolarisation. NMRCL plans tomeet 40 per cent of its electricityrequirement through solar en-ergy. The Nagpur Metro Rail willhave two corridors—North–South(19.658 km long with 17 sta-tions) and East–West (18.557kmlong with 19 stations).

The Maharashtra Governmenthas launched OperationKayapalat to rejuvenate

primary health centres (PHCs)across the State and to providequality health services to citizens.The scheme will focus onmaintaining cleanliness andhygiene in rural health centres. Asuccessful beginning has beenmade in Pune and Kolhapur.Minister for Health Dr. DeepakSawant said, “OperationKayapalat aims to provide qualityhealth services to people, makingthe PHCs, sub-district hospitals,rural hospitals and districthospitals equipped with moderninstruments and experts todevelop a positive attitude in thestaff towards healthcare deliveryand modern technology.”

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for Cabinet approval soon.It will be on the lines of theCentral scheme.

The plan, to be implementedin three phases, will require anoutlay of about `4,000 to`5,000 crore over seven years.Eighty per cent of the work willinvolve strengthening of existingroads, while 20 per cent will befor adding new tar roads. Theaim is to create a good 10-12 kmcontiguous road network in everytaluka of the State in everyyear of project implementation.The Government has also startedlooking at innovative technolo-gies for construction of theseroads, such as using plasticwaste while making the hotmix for tar roads.

Soon, people from Mumbaitravelling to Nagpur by roadwill be able to reach within

half the time taken usually, thatis about ten hours, as the StateGovernment will build an 800

km long expressway between thetwo cities, announced ChiefMinister Devendra Fadnavis.After Mumbai –Pune expressway,this will be the second express-way in the State.

With the Government plan-ning to spend `30,000 crore onthe project, the new expresswaywill connect four major cities ofMaharashtra—Mumbai, Nashik,Aurangabad and Nagpur. TheGovernment plans to develop ITparks, smart cities and educationcomplexes along it. The road willbe designed for high- speed ve-hicular traffic. It will have CCTVsand be equipped with fibre opticcables. To be undertaken in twophases, the project will be com-pleted by 2019. In the firstphase, beginning end of 2015, itwill complete four lanes; later,in the second half, six lanes willbe completed. It will help increating another industrial andagro-industries hub in the State.

MUMBAI–NAGPUR EXPRESSWAY

COMMUNICATION SUPERHIGHWAY

OPERATION KAYAPALAT

A HEALTHY MOVE

The Smart Cities Mission of theUnion Government proposesto develop 100 smart cities in

India in next five years. The StateCabinet has given approval for theimplementation of the pro-gramme in Maharashtra. The Gov-ernment of Maharashtra hasdecided to implement the AtalMission for Rejuvenation andUrban Transformation (AMRUT)and has shortlisted 43 cities forthe same. Prime Minister Naren-dra Modi’s ambitious project hasprovisions to upgrade 100cities/towns between 2015 and

2019. The Centre is providing`1,000 crore for its implementa-tion in Maharashtra in the firstphase for ten cities.

A high-powered committeewas set up under Chief SecretarySwadheen Kshatriya to select tencities and prepare a detailedproject report. The ten citiesshortlisted under the projectinclude Mumbai, Navi Mumbai,Pune–Pimpri–Chinchwad,Amravati, Solapur, Nagpur,Kalyan–Dombivali, Aurangabad,Nashik and Thane.

The Smart Cities Mission willbe implemented in 100 cities withan outlay of `48,000 crore andeach selected city would get Cen-

tral assistance of ̀ 100 crore peryear for five years. An equalamount, on a matching basis, willhave to be contributed by theState/Urban local bodies. A spe-cial purpose vehicle will be set upfor effective implementation ofthe scheme. By setting up SmartCity Forum, co-ordination of vari-ous sections will be sought.

In the second stage of thecompetition, each of the potentialSmart Cities will have to preparetheir proposals for participation inthe City Challenge. For monitoringthe mission at State level, a high-powered steering committeeunder the Chair manship of ChiefSecretary has been con stituted.The Secretary, Urban Develop-ment (2) will work as Director ofthe State Mission.

The development of SmartCities Mission aims at comprehen-sive development of physical,institutional, social and economicinfrastructure and improving thequality of life and attracting peo-ple and investments to the City,setting in motion a virtuous cycleof development.

The objective of the Mission isto promote cities that providecore infrastructure and give adecent life to its citizens, a cleanand sustainable environment andapplication of ‘smart’ solutions.The core infrastructure includesadequate water supply, assuredelectricity supply, sanitation,including solid waste manage-ment, efficient urban mobility,public transport, affordable hous-ing, especially for the poor, robustIT connectivity and digitalisation,good governance, especially e-Governance and citizen participation, sustainable environment, safety and securityof citizens, particularly women,children and the elderly, andhealth and education.


The State Government acquired a 2,050 sq.ft bun-galow in London where

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar livedduring 1921-22. The primaryagreement of purchase of theLondon house where the archi-tect of Indian Constitution, Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar stayed fora while during his studies atLondon School of Economics hasbeen completed. Soon the rest ofthe process will be completed.

Once the paper work is done,the London house will be trans-formed into a museum-cum-memorial dedicated to the life ofarchitect of Indian Constitution. Alibrary and research centre for stu-dents will be set up. Every year,

the Social Justice Department ofMaharashtra sends students frombackward class abroad for theiradvanced studies. The house willhelp these students stay in Lon-don during their education.

Meanwhile, Prime MinisterNarendra Modi recently laid the

foundation stone of a grandmemorial to Dr. BabasahebAmbedkar at the Indu Mills compound in Mumbai. Thememorial, to be developed at acost of over ̀ 400 crore in the citywhere Bharat Ratna Dr. BabsahebAmbedkar lived for several years,

is planned to be completedduring the tenure of the presentGovernment.

To be built on a sprawling12.50 hectare, the statue ofDr. Ambedkar will be 150 feet tall.The memorial will comprise astupa—140 ft. in height and 110m in circumference. There will bean Ashoka Chakra covering thememorial and a vipassana (medi-tation) hall with a seating capacityof 13,000. A section, namedGallery of Struggle, depictingmomentous events associatedwith the life and works ofDr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, will alsobe part of the project.

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Prime MinisterNarendra Modi’sambitious project has provisions toupgrade 100cities/towns between2015 and 2019


FOR DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR

MONUMENTSOF SIGNIFICANCE

NAGPUR

NASHIK

AURANGABAD

THANE

AMRAVATI SOLAPUR

KALYAN-DOMBIVALI

MUMBAI PUNE–PIMPRI–CHINCHWADNAVI MUMBAI

SMART CITY MISSION

THE SMART ONES

Printed at KALA JYOTHI PROCESS PVT. LTD., Plot No. W-17 & W-18, MIDC, Taloja Industrial Area, Taloja-410 208, Navi Mumbai.Published by Directorate General of Infromation & Public Relations Mantralaya Mumbai 400 032 on behalf of Government of Maharashtra.Managing Editor CHANDRASHEKHAR OAK, Director General of Information and Public Relations.

O.I.G.S. Presented byThe Government of India

Digamber W. PalveSenior Assistant Director

Directorate General of Information and Public RelationsMaharashtra Government

Barrack No. 19, Free Press Journal MargMumbai 400 021.

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MAHARASHTRA CABINET FIRST YEAR REPORT …. Ranjit Patil / Pravin Pote Patil 49 05 10 12 14 16 18 20...

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Transcript of MAHARASHTRA CABINET FIRST YEAR REPORT …. Ranjit Patil / Pravin Pote Patil 49 05 10 12 14 16 18 20...