On last day in power, MVA Cabinet’s nod to reconstitution of development boards
30 Jun 2022 06:59:38
Staff Reporter
ON its last day in power, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) Government held its cabinet meeting and gave nod to
several items on agenda including the reconstitution of development boards. The experts from Vidarbha region called it a late decision, but welcomed it. The previous extension to development boards had expired on April 30, 2020. Since then, another extension to the development boards was stuck in politics. Congress and Shiv Sena leaders expressed their commitment to development of the backward regions and favoured extension to development boards.
However, the State Cabinet did not take decision in this regard. Several intellectuals from Vidarbha as well as Marathwada regions had written to the Governor also in
this regard. Dr Nitin Raut, Guardian Minister of district, also had written to Uddhav Thackeray, Chief Minister, seeking reconstitution of the development boards.
Finally, on Wednesday, the State Cabinet in its meeting held in Mumbai gave its nod to reconstitution of the development boards for Vidarbha, Marathwada, and Rest of Maharashtra.
Uddhav Thackeray, Chief Minister, presided over the meeting. As per the cabinet decision, the State Government will make a recommendation to the Governor of Maharashtra, to move the request to Central Government regarding reconstitution of the development boards.
Dr Nitin Raut welcomed the State Cabinet decision on Wednesday. “I have been raising the demand since April 2020 and now it has met fruition. I thank Chief Minister and the State Cabinet. The decision of reconstitution of the development boards will provide a new direction and fresh pace to development of backward areas in Vidarbha, Marathwada, and Rest of Maharashtra,” read his official statement.
The development experts from Vidarbha region said that the decision had come a bit late, but welcomed the decision.
Dr Kapil Chandrayan, former Expert Member of Vidarbha Development Board (VDB), said that though late, it was a welcome decision. “Reinstating the development boards long after expiry of previous extension shows that it was a decision stuck only in dirty politics. In this political battle, Vidarbha region was taken for granted as an ‘expendable’. Who will take the responsibility for the lack of development caused due to non-existence of the boards?,” he wondered. The Government of the day must now ensure a suitable affirmative action for Vidarbha and Marathwada regions in particular, he added.
Dr Sanjay Khadakkar, former Expert Member of VDB, said that the people of especially Vidarbha and Marathwada regions were waiting for this decision for past two years. Now that the decision has been taken, one must welcome it. He said, “It will be interesting to watch how and when does the decision get implemented in the given political situation.”
Nitin Ronghe, Convener, Maha Vidarbha Janjagaran, thanked Chief Minister and the State Cabinet for taking the decision to pave way for reconstitution of the development boards. “I had filed a PIL in the High Court regarding the same. Although a late decision, it is good that the development boards are being reconstituted,” he observed.
The development boards were established in 1994 with an objective to ensure equitable distribution of development funds within the three regions -- Vidarbha, Marathwada, and Rest of Maharashtra -- of Maharashtra and further ensure equitable development of these three regions. The boards completed 25 years in 2019-20. During these years, experts counted various achievements of the boards and acknowledged the relevance of the boards in development of under-developed regions like Vidarbha and Marathwada.