Speed up central funding for incomplete irrigation projects: CM
Mumbai, Feb 7: Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis demanded speeding up of central funding for incomplete irrigation projects in drought-hit areas of the state so that they could be completed in time.
He was speaking at the meeting held on Tuesday at Chief Minister’s residence ‘Varsha’ and attended by NITI Ayog Deputy Chairman Dr Rajiv Kumar. State Chief Secretary Sumit Mallik, Addl Chief Secretary in CMO Pravin Singh Pardeshi, Addl Principal Secretary Finance Dinesh Kumar Jain, Addl Principal Secretary Planning Debashish Chakraborty, senior officials of industry, labour, public health, agriculture, housing, transport, water resources, PWD, urban development, tribal development, women and child development, revenue and forest departments were present in the meeting.
With the adoption of public-private partnership (PP) Model in housing sector, the target in this field could be accomplished with speed, the Chief Minister said adding that state government was consistently trying to get SRA projects out of the CRZ act. Mumbai’s problems are different from those of the other coastal cities and there is a need to understand these problems in their right perspective. He also urged the NITI Ayog to help expedite pending projects with the centre for sanction along with those presented today by various departments.
NITI Ayog Dy Chairman pats CM: Assuring full cooperation to the state government on proposals submitted today, NITI Ayog Dy Chairman Dr Rajiv Kumar praised the government for spending in social sector on a grand scale and other states should emulate this example, he added.
MMRDA, Transport, Housing, Industries, Energy, Labour, PWD, Agriculture, Water Supply and Cleanliness, Water Resources, Tribal Development, Women and Child Development, Revenue and Forests departments made their presentations at the meeting.
The meeting was informed that work on 12 Metro lines at the cost of 1 lakh 5 thousand crore are going on and sanction to some of these projects is awaited from defence, civil aviation and railway ministries. It was demanded to speed up work on Ahmadnagar-Beed-Parli, Wardha-Yavatmal-Nanded, and Wadsa-Gadchiroli railway lines. Over 90 percent land acquisition in this sector has been completed and the state government has provided its share of funds.
Besides, presentations were made by concerned departments regarding Pune-Mumbai Mobility Lab, Light House Cities, coastal economic zone in south Konkan, pending central funds for agriculture department, NABARD loan to bring sugarcane plantation on minor irrigation, food park, e-NAM i.e. National Agriculture Market, central funds for incomplete minor, medium and large irrigation projects, implementation and expectation of PMAY, hospitals for labourers, highway, online water supply etc.
Value addition for forest based products is of utmost importance, Dr Rajiv Kumar said. Forest Secretary Vikas Kharge said that sanction is being accorded to various development projects at the meeting of state and central wild life boards. It was resolved to plant 3.50 crore trees in the state in three years and in the first couple of years sapling exceeding the target were planted, Kharge informed the meeting. The centre has given enough funds in Green India and Bamboo Mission and the state would be sending two proposals for approval, he said. Women and Child Development Secretary Vinita Ved demanded to increase the honorarium of more than one lakh anganwadi sevikas and helpers in the state.