Maharashtra CABINET DECISIONS

SANJAY JOG

Mumbai, April 5

Incessant rains declared as natural calamity; Relief to farmers

The state Cabinet today decided to declare incessant rains as a natural calamity while giving compensation for the crop damage due to such rains. The farmers would be paid compensation henceforth. Chief minister Eknath Shinde presided over the cabinet meeting.

Excessive rains is considered as natural calamity and the rainfall more than 65 mm in 24 hours recorded in the automatic weather stations (AWS) in the revenue circles is followed by the Panchanamas of crop damage. Taking in to account crop damage if it is more than 33 per cent then compensation is made in the form of subsidy in prescribed rates. There are cases when there is no record in the revenue circle but villages face excessive rains leading crop damage. There are cases when incessant rains in some villages cause crop damage which is why helping such farmers through this decision was needed.

The cabinet subcommittee headed by the chief minister held its meeting on November 29, 2022 and took a decision that agriculture department would form a committee to finalize criterion for proposals of compensation in case of incessant rains since there were no mention of incessant rains at present when it comes to compensation to farmers. Accordingly, the government orders issued by departments of agriculture and animal husbandry, dairy development a committee under additional chief secretary to planning department was formed on December 21, 2022 to fix the criterion and recommend it to Government about the same in case of incessant rains.

This committee had suggested some criterion for providing compensation to farmers in case of crop damage due to incessant rains and this report was kept before the state Cabinet meeting held today for consideration.

The first trimmer would be applicable when revenue circle experiences when there is more rains than 150 times of the average rainfall of last ten years and 10 mm rainfall for consecutive five days between the period of July 15 and October 15.??

After the first trimmer is applicable in such a revenue circle, NDVI criterion would be assessed till 15th day after applying first trimmer as follows. If NDVI is 0.5 or below for Khariff crop between July 15 and October 15 the second trimmer would be applicable. For this, the NDVI of the day on which incessant rains started needs to be more than NDVI of 15h day.

The Panchanama after survey of he affected field would be conducted when the government declares as per the excessive rains parameter and compensation would be made if the damage is more than 33 per cent. The same criterion would be used while making compensation for crop damage due to incessant rains between the period of June and October 2022 for all the delayed proposals. The cabinet took a decision in this regard in today’s meeting to provide compensation with modified rates by using these criteria.

Henceforth, for the excessive rains category of natural calamity the parameter of 65mm or more rains in 24 hours would be maintained in addition to second trimmer criterion of NDVI as additional criterion while paying crop damage. The same would be applied for all kind of crop damage except for drought.

Citizens to get sand at reasonable rate

New sand policy that prevents illegal mining

In a bid to curb illegal sand mining in the state and to provide sand at an appropriate price to common man, the cabinet today approved a new comprehensive policy for sand mining by scrapping the existing policy. The cabinet meeting chaired by the chief minister Eknath Shinde gave its nod for the new policy.

According to this policy, for one year all citizens would be provided sand at a rate of Rs. 600 per brass (Rs. 133 per metric tonne) on an experimental basis. The royalty would be waived and district sand mining fund, transport licence service fee would be charged. A tender process would be implemented for sand mining, transportation till depot after mining, setting up of depot and management after which sand would be taken to government depot after mining and would be sold from there.??

A technical committee under chairmanship of Tehsildar would inspect sand mining and a sand monitoring committee at Tehsil level would be set up for every Taluka headed by sub-divisional officer. This committee would recommend to district level committee for announcing e-tender system and district collector would be chairman of the district level monitoring committee which would also have CEO, SP, CP, additional district collector, superintending engineer of PWD and water resources department, RTO, geo-science and mining department, ground water survey and MPCB officials. This committee would ensure adhering to norms of National Green Tribunal and ensure availability of stock of sand at the depot.

Nod for renewal of the lease for sailor institute of Navy

The state cabinet also gave its nod today for renewal of lease at a nominal rate for Sagar, which is sailor institute of Indian Navy in Fort area of Mumbai. The Chief minister Shinde chaired the meeting.

The lease would be effective for next 30 years and the institute is given 7413.17 sq. mtrs. In Fort revenue division for nominal 1 Re. lease.

Revised sanction for Nagpur Metro Rail Phase 2

Metro route of 43.80 Km would be built

The state Cabinet today also gave nod for revised sanction to Nagpur Metro 2 which would result in building 43.80 Km track route.

The revised estimate for this project is pegged at Rs. 6708 crores and it includes route 1-A Mihan to MIDC ESR (18.65 Km), route 2-A Automotive chowk to Kanhan river (13 Km), Route 3A Lokmanya Nagar to Hingna (6.65 Km), Route 3A Prajapati Nagar to Transport Nagar 5.50 Km). Metro 1 phase work started in January 2014 which included 40.02 Km length metro route along with 32 stations which was dedicated to Nation at the hands of Prime Minister on December 11, 2022.

Garbage to energy project at Deonar dumping ground

Land reservation modified

The state Cabinet today gave nod for modifying reservation at Deonar dumping ground at Govandi in Mumbai. The meeting was chaired by chief minister Eknath Shinde. It would pave way for clearing the project of generation of energy from solid waste.

As per provisions in the MRTP 1966, BrihanMumbai development scheme 2034 Corporation school, playground, hostel, garden reservations were deleted and it is changed to garden reservation. The reservation of playground of 31200 sq. mtr is deleted at this place.?????

Seats for PG degree in specialized treatment would be raised

14 new posts sanctioned

The state cabinet gave nod for increasing the number of seats for post-graduate degree in specialized treatment. The meeting was chaired by chief minister Eknath Shinde.??

Unit-wise reorganization of teaching staff would be done and 14 new posts in assistant professor and professor category would be created. At present there are 138 posts sanctioned and organization-wise maximum student number is 137 which would be taken to 209 from present 137. The posts would be created at Grant medical college, JJ, BJMC Pune, Govt medical college Nagpur, Chhrapati Sambhajinagar, Chhatrapati Pramilaraje hospital at Kolhapur.

Nod for state guarantee for MSEDCL loan

The state Cabinet chaired by chief minister Eknath Shinde also gave nod to give state guarantee to MSEDCL to avail loan of Rs. 29,230 crores to pay pending dues.Under the Late Payment surcharge and related matters rule 2022 this state guarantee is given to MSEDCL.

The power utility has pending dues from other two sate owned companies worth Rs 29230 which includes principal amount of Rs 17,252 crores and interest of Rs 11,978 crores. The Government guarantee is given with a condition that MSEDCL would invite competitive bids from financial institutions for interest rates and accept the bid with minimum interest rate.

The posts at par with teacher in non-agri Universities to get 6th 7th pay commission

The state Cabinet chaired by chief minister Eknath Shinde today gave nod for implementing sixth and seventh pay commission to directors, assistant directors, project officers which are posts at par with teachers posts working with non-agriculural universities.

An expenditure of Rs 5.90 crores is expected with this decision.

Quality of higher education to receive a fillip with Paris Sparsh scheme

Colleges would receive guidance for availing NAAC, NBA evaluation

The state cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde gave nod for starting Paris Sparsh scheme so that colleges can avail guidance for getting the NAAC and NBA evaluation.??

Out of 3346 colleges in the state, 1368 have undergone NAAC evaluation and 1978 are yet to undergo this process.?It was concluded in a workshop organized at Mumbai university in this regard that colleges need guidance for evaluation. Accordingly, on the lines of Paramarsh scheme of UGC, a decision to start Paris Sparsh was taken which would be for three years. The state advisory committee, university level committee and district level committee would be set up which would select guiding institutions for colleges. The state Cabinet also gave nod for Rs. 13.50 crore expenditure for this scheme.