Maharashtra: CM Eknath Shinde Seeks Centre’s Help For Drought-Prone Areas

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has sought the Centre's help for water supply schemes for the drought-prone areas of Maharashtra at the 26th Western Zonal Council meeting Chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah at Gandhinagar on Monday.

Marathwada has been drought-prone and is facing water scarcity this year also. Projects like river linking, Marathwada Water Grid and for putting the run-off water in Konkan for better use in other parts of the state have already been conceived. These projects will need help from the centre for them to see the light of the day, CM Shinde said. Among other important issues that he raised were increasing the number of Onion procurement centres in the state and granting classical language status for Marathi. He also appraised the council of achievements of the state government which include better conversion rate of MoUs to investment.

Maharashtra DCM Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Secretary Manoj Saunik, Chief Ministers of Goa and Gujarat and administrative officers from union territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu were present at the occasion.

Centre's cooperation in extending the coastal road project

CM Shinde also said that the state government is working in coordination with the Goa government on the Tillari irrigation project and that a meeting too has been conducted along with the Goa Chief Minister. He also sought the centre's cooperation in extending the coastal road project. The state government has started working on the Dahanu-Sindhudurg Coastal Road project. This road will be a boon for tourism, and that potential shall increase if the road is extended in Goa and Gujarat states as well, CM Shinde said.

Shasan Aapalya Daari program

While highlighting the achievements of the state government, Shinde said that under the 'Shasan Aapalya Daari' program the state government has provided benefits of various state government schemes to more than 1.5 crore beneficiaries at their doorsteps within the past few months.

CM Shinde also told the council that the state has excelled in FDI again in the first quarter of this fiscal year and that over 75 per cent of the MoUs signed during the World Economic Forum at Davos have successfully been converted into investment. The state is advancing on various fronts through new policies adopted on the ports, textile, IT and Green Hydrogen fronts. The CZMP clearance shall boost tourism in five coastal districts of the state, he added.

Of the total 20,870 primary agricultural cooperative societies computerization of 12,000 is in process, all pathological tests in all government health establishments have been made available for free, and a state task force has been formed to resolve the issue of malnutrition in the tribal areas, Cm Shinde said in his speech.

While 2,444 gram panchayats have already been on the Bharat Net, 12,513 more have entered into an MoU with the BSNL for Fiber to Home Connection, CM Shinde said adding that Maha DBT scheme was initiated to ensure error free and quick disbursal of DBT schemes of the state and that 34 more schemes will be added to the kity very soon.

The state has 100 percent banking network coverage and 1.80 lakh fishermen have been provided with biometric cards till now, Shinde added. He also said that the state's performance in the investigation of gender-specific crimes has substantially improved.