Mumbai, Dec 28 (IANS) In a bid to maintain Maharashtra’s prominence as a leading state in the country, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday instructed the Maharashtra Institution for Transformation (MITRA) — the state think-tank to make recommendations to the government to promote development of priority sectors such as finance, mining, group farming, solar power projects, biofuels and employment opportunities abroad.
Fadnavis, who chaired the meeting of MITRA, which is a recommendatory body formed on the lines of NITI Aayog by the former chief minister Eknath Shinde, asked MITRA to prepare a roadmap for reduction in fiscal deficit, an increase in capital investment, convergence of schemes, speeding up the completion of incomplete water conservation projects and crafting of state’s data policy and mining policy for the overall development of the state.
Fadnavis said that the collective development of farmers is being promoted through group farming. About 400 groups are functioning in the state.
“Most of them have performed well. Farmers engaged in group farming will be empowered economically and socially by providing the combined benefits of schemes of departments like agriculture, water conservation, horticulture, marketing. Against this backdrop, a model of convergence of various schemes should be prepared,” he added.
Fadnavis also took a detailed review of the solar energy project in Jayakwadi project, biogas production from agricultural waste and Gorewada International Zoo at Nagpur.
Further, Fadnavis asked the Maharashtra Airport Development Company to accelerate work of the existing airports in order to increase connectivity with every part of the state. This is necessary as the infrastructure development has been undertaken on a large scale. He assured that the central government as well as the state government will provide substantial support for these works.
Fadnavis, who chaired the meeting of Maharashtra Airport Development Company, said that there is a huge scope for growth in air traffic in the state.
Therefore, along with the Central government’s UDAN scheme, attention should be focused on the development of airports from state funds, their expansion, night landing facilities, increasing the length of the runway, and providing modern facilities to passengers at airports.
He also directed the Maharashtra Airport Development Company to take action on a war footing to reduce the load on airports in big cities. He also took a detailed review of the progress of the airport works at Ratnagiri, Shirdi, Amravati (Belora), Purandar, Karad, Chandrapur (Morwa), Solapur, Dhule, Phaltan, Akola, Gadchiroli.
He reviewed the agreement to be signed regarding the 786.56 hectare area to be given to GMR Nagpur International Airport, which falls under the MIHAN area. He also gave instructions to complete the agreement in this regard at the earliest.
–IANS
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