Rs 500 crore to be given to Naxal-affected areas in 3 yrs
| Date :19-Jun-2019 |
Staff Reporter:
Several promises including funds for major projects in Vidarbha region in State’s additional budget
Sudhir Mungantiwar, Finance and Planning Minister, presented additional budget of State Government for 2019-20 in Legislative Assembly on Tuesday. The additional budget has several important announcements for Vidarbha region, as also funds for major ongoing projects. In the Naxal-affected areas of Gadchiroli, Chandrapur, and Gondia districts, the Government has proposed to implement a special skill development programme. The said initiative will be implemented to help provide employment to youths in Naxal-affected areas and motivate them to join the mainstream of development and shun violent ideology of Naxalites/Maoists.
The Government has proposed to make available Rs 500 crore for the purpose in three years. For 2019-20, it has cleared an outlay of Rs 150 crore. Besides, funds have been allocated for construction of new Government Medical Colleges (GMCs) at Chandrapur and Gondia in Vidarbha. The construction of hospital and college building of GMC at Chandrapur requires Rs 614.67 crore, and that of GMC in Gondia requires Rs 448.70 crore. Keeping in mind that the world will be celebrating 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi later this year, the Government has proposed to strengthen liquor prohibition. Wardha district, where Mahatma Gandhi stayed for a substantial period during freedom struggle, is the first district in Maharashtra where prohibition is implemented. At present, liquor prohibition is effective in Wardha, Gadchiroli and Chandrapur districts.
To implement the programme more effectively in these districts, an outlay of Rs 50 crore has been made for the financial year 2019-20. State Government has come up with a novel initiative of Tourism Police in Shirdi, Mumbai, Aurangabad, Nagpur, and Sindhudurg. It is proposed to implement a pilot project for providing services of International standards with regard to security by co-ordination of Home Department, Urban Development Department, Transport Department, and Shirdi Sansthan. The Government has assured to provide ‘necessary’ funds. A Government Agriculture College will be set up at Mul in Chandrapur district, under Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth. It has been proposed to promote agricultural education in Chandrapur and Gadchiroli districts. Further, a Government Food Technology College will be set up at Yavatmal, and a Fisheries College is proposed at Pardi in Morshi tehsil in Amravati district. Funds have been kept aside for creating basic infrastructure for pilgrims at Shri Sant Sevalal Maharaj Sansthan, Poharadevi in Manora tehsil of Washim district. If required, additional funds will be provided. To promote children’s theatre, Government organises primary round of State-level competition at in Konkan and at Nashik, Pune, Aurangabad, and Nagpur. At each place, around 60 plays are staged. Now, the Government has decided to expand the coverage and conduct the primary round at 10 places. Chandrapur is likely to be among these 10 places. As far as minerals are concerned, Government has stated in the additional budget that employment opportunities will be created by way of ‘large investment in the mining fields’ of Nagpur, Kolhapur, Ratnagiri and Chandrapur districts. The additional budget also has mention of ongoing projects: the construction work of Samruddhi Mahamarg (Nagpur-Mumbai communication super expressway) is ‘in full swing’, ‘in-principle’ approval has been granted to setting up of thermal power generation project of 1,320 MW capacity at Koradi in Nagpur district wtih an expenditure of Rs 8,407 crore. ‘Gosikhurd project to be completed by Dec 2021’ In the additional budget, light was shed on irrigation projects. Sudhir Mungantiwar, Finance and Planning Minister, made a statement that Gosikhurd national irrigation project would be completed by December 2021. The Government has made a provision of over Rs 12,597 crore for Water Resources Department in 2019-20. Gosikhurd project has been pending for years. It is over 30 years that the project is still awaiting completion. Now, several works of Gosikhurd have been completed and now the Government has revised the deadline for completion of project to December 2021. Several incomplete projects from Maharashtra have been included under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY). The balance cost of these projects is Rs 22,398 crore, of which Rs 3,138 crore will be received as Central assistance. The remaining burden has to be borne by the State. Five irrigation projects have been completed by March 2019 and five more will be completed by June 2019. Remaining projects will be completed by December 2020. Baliraja Jal Sanjivani Yojana with financial assistance from the Centre also is being implemented for time-bound completion of irrigation projects in farmers’ suicide-prone and drought prone areas. It covers 91 projects including 83 minor, three major and medium projects in Vidarbha and Marathwada regions, and five major and medium projects in Rest of Maharashtra. The remaining cost of these projects is Rs 15,326 crore of which Rs 3,831 crore of Central funding will be received and State has to bear Rs 10,213 crore. An agreement has been signed for obtaining loan from NABARD Infrastructure Development Assistance, and Rural Infrastructure Development Fund for these projects.