Mumbai: Ahead of the model code of conduct coming into force in Maharashtra, the Mahayuti government has taken nearly 146 decisions in one month alone. These include populist moves, from declaring the cow as ‘Rajmata-Gaumata’, to infrastructure projects, to giving out land parcels to the Adani group for the Dharavi project, to creating corporations for minorities in the state.
On 5 September, the cabinet passed 13 decisions, on 23 September, 23 decisions were taken, on 30 September came another 40 decisions, on 4 October, 32 decisions. On Thursday, the state cabinet took 38 decisions.
“This is a routine mandate before the elections. It is not new. However, this time, yes the number of decisions taken are more as the elections would also be a close contest,” said a source from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).
The flurry of decisions has prompted the Opposition to target the state government over their timing.
The question is, why did the illegal cm Shinde not take these decisions in the past 2 years.
These are hollow promises of the minde bjp, that people know, just like Achche Din.For 2 years, Shinde and loot gang only looted Maharashtra. https://t.co/47dEnIYRlV
— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) October 10, 2024
The state cabinet Thursday decided to request the Centre to increase the income limit to qualify for the ‘non-creamy layer’ from the current Rs 8 lakh to Rs 15 lakh per year.
A draft ordinance to accord a constitutional status to the Maharashtra State Scheduled Caste Commission was also approved, according to a statement issued by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s office.
Decisions taken Thursday also included approval to three new private universities, land parcels in Borivali for Dharavi rehabilitation, a salary increase for madrasas teachers from Rs 6,000 to Rs 16,000.
Also Read: Eye on BJP’s core voters, Mahayuti govt approves corporations for Brahmins, Rajputs in Maharashtra
Corporations for non-dominant sections
The decisions included the announcement of separate corporations for Brahmins, Rajputs, Sonar and Arya-Vaishya communities. Additionally, other communities like Jains, Baris, Telis, Hindu-Khatiks and Lonaris are also set to get their own welfare corporations.
The corporations are being set up not particularly on the basis of caste identity, but for the economic welfare of the groups. The government has set aside Rs 50 crore for this.
The announcement comes in the backdrop of the long drawn tussle between the dominant Marathas and the Other Backward Classes over the Maratha community’s demand for reservation. The Dhangar community has also demanded quota benefits now.
The current budget of the existing Maulana Azad Minorities Financial Development Corporation is Rs 700 crore. This has now been raised to Rs 1000 crore, as announced by the cabinet.
The Adani element
Almost every round of decisions at cabinet meetings throughout the month featured those related to the Dharavi redevelopment project and the Adani group.
The cabinet has approved a semiconductor fabrication unit to be established jointly by the Adani Group and Israel-based Tower Semiconductor for an investment of $10 billion. This project will be based in Panvel, Mumbai and will be built in two phases, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had announced. The first phase will see an investment of Rs 58,763 crore and Rs 25,184 crore in the second Th project will generate over 5,000 jobs, the government has claimed.
One more BIG news for Maharashtra !
Huge investments of total
₹ 1,20,220 crore approved in today’s Cabinet Sub-Committee Meeting, with CM Eknath Shinde ji !The detailed list of approved investments is as follows:
✅Tower Semiconductor with Adani Group at Taloja MIDC, Panvel… pic.twitter.com/DVI9z94WyU
— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) September 5, 2024
Besides this, the cabinet also approved the utilisation of 255 acres of salt-pan land in Mumbai for the development of housing for ineligible people in Dharavi. The government has also approved another land parcel in Borivali for the rehabilitation of people deemed ineligible for free housing in the Dharavi project.
This caused a lot of uproar with the Opposition claiming that Adani is “looting” Mumbai, while the Maharashtra government is “allowing the loot”.
Infra projects
Besides the redevelopment of Dharavi, the cabinet also announced a slew of decisions related to infra projects across the state.
These included the nod for the revised cost of the Pune Outer Ring Road project to be undertaken by Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC). The cabinet approved the escalation of over Rs 20,000 crore, taking the total project cost to over Rs 40000 crore.
The Shirur-Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar greenfield expressway has been approved for Rs 14,886 crore, besides allotment of 30.16 acres of land in Bandra for the new high court building.
For the Marine Drive-Orange Gate tunnel, the government approved an interest-free loan of Rs 1,355 crore as assistance for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, the nodal agency.
For the Thane region—the home turf of CM Shinde—the cabinet has approved the Integral Ring Metro Rail project at Rs 12,220 crore. The proposed metro corridor will be 29 km long. The chief minister passed the proposal of Rs 18,800 crore for the Thane-Borivali underground road.
Other decisions
The Maharashtra cabinet has also approved the transfer of a 2,000 square metre land parcel in the upscale Bandra area of Mumbai on a 30-year lease to ace cricketer Ajinkya Rahane to develop a sports complex.
Some other decisions include doubling of the salaries of sarpanchs under various categories—from Rs 3,000, Rs 4,000 and Rs Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000, Rs 8000 and Rs 10,000, respectively. Salaries of Upsarpanch have been raised from Rs 1,000, Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,000, Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,000, respectively.
The government also approved the inclusion of three sub-castes of Kunbis into the OBC category.
For desi cows, which the government has recognised as “Rajyamaata” by means of a resolution, the cabinet has approved Rs 50 per day per cow as assistance to farmers.