Mumbai, Dec 5 (IANS) Revenue Minister and former state BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Friday said that Maharashtra is on a "robust march towards sustainable development" under the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
He stated that the MahaYuti government has implemented "revolutionary decisions" across sectors, accelerating the pace of progress.
He was speaking to the reporters on the occasion of the completion of one year of the MahaYuti government.
Minister Bawankule emphasised that the government is focusing on all-inclusive development, aligning its vision with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s concept of a Developed Maharashtra by 2047.
“The Mahayuti government has established new benchmarks for development in every sector over the past year, significantly improving the living standards of the common citizen through digital services and transparency,” he said.
He listed a slew of the government’s achievements, including an immediate relief package of Rs 32,000 crore to farmers affected by excessive rains (severe weather events), and measures to combat drought, including a stay on crop loan recovery.
He said that animal husbandry and fisheries were officially accorded the status of Agriculture, adding that several steps were taken to increase irrigation capacity.
“About 37,166 water conservation works were completed within the year under the renewed Jalyukt Shivar 2.0 scheme. River linking projects were approved, and massive funds were sanctioned for lift irrigation projects,” he said.
The minister said that the government has prioritised strengthening the state's infrastructure with large-scale funding approvals, adding that the Samruddhi Mahamarg (Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway) has been fully opened.
“Planning for major projects like the Shaktipeeth Expressway, Vadhavan Port, and Offshore Airport has commenced. A fund of Rs 4,826 crore has been sanctioned for the purchase of 238 new local trains for Mumbai, along with crores of rupees approved for overall railway service development. Approval for Metro 11 was secured,” he said.
The minister pointed out that in a bid to push the energy transition and promotion for renewable energy, the ‘Saurgram Yojana' (Solar Village Scheme) has been launched in 100 villages.
He further reported that Maharashtra secured record-breaking Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) worth Rs 16 lakh crore at the World Economic Forum in Davos, with the state leading the country in implementation (80 per cent progress).
“Foreign investment in Maharashtra grew by 34 per cent in 2024-25 compared to the previous year, totalling Rs 1,64,875 crore. New industrial, electronics, gems and jewellery policies were announced to boost the manufacturing sector,” he said.
As per the minister, the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) has ordered a reduction in electricity tariffs for all categories of consumers (domestic, industrial, and commercial) over the next five years, based on a proposal submitted by Mahavitaran.
He said that the Mahatma Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (Health Scheme) has been expanded to cover 2,399 ailments.
“Out of 30 lakh homes sanctioned for Maharashtra under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, 4,91,278 houses have been completed,” he said.
He added that the government has taken decisive steps to preserve the state's rich heritage, including establishing a Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Memorial in Agra and a Maratha A fund of Rs 5,503 crore was allocated for the development of pilgrimage sites during the 300th birth anniversary year of Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar.
--IANS
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