Tag: prithviraj chavan

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17,665 dispute-free villages in Maharashtra?

Over 17,000 villages in Maharashtra are reportedly free of petty and major disputes, due to a Government scheme launched in 2007.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Is it possible, in today’s hectic times, for any place to be totally dispute-free? If findings from the State Government are to be believed, as many as 17, 665 villages in Maharashtra are completely dispute-free?

A press release from the Chief Minister’s office last week gave the findings of the Government’s Mahatma Gandhi Tantamukh Gaon Mohim (Mahatma Gandhi Dispute Free Village Scheme) launched in year 2007. CM Prithviraj Chavan said, “Maharashtra is one of the largest states in the country with a huge cosmopolitan population spread across both rural and urban centers. With such dynamics, being able to make almost 17,665 villages completely dispute-free is a proud achievement for the State. Our innovative approach has been recognised on the international platform too as a model project by the United Nations. We believe the Scheme will continue to act as a catalyst for the welfare of villagers by engaging citizens to bring prosperity through peace.”

As per the Scheme, 1,741 villages became dispute-free in 2012-2013. Now, 47 villages are set to receive the Special Peace Award. 10 out of the 47 villages are from Buldhana district, followed by Sholapur (8), Kolhapur (7), Chandrapur (7), Yavatmanl (1), Nagpur Rural (1), Parbhani (1), Ahmednagar (3), Satara (2), Jalna (1), and Osmanabad (2).

The Scheme was launched with the aim of resolving minor conflicts, land related problems, cattle grazing, cremation grounds, etc. that normally snowballed into bigger communal and anti-social issues in the State’s villages. Under this scheme, villagers come together, collect data and amicably settle the thousands of pending cases in their village. The idea of this novel experiment was to decrease the number of pending cases in the judiciaries and so it is conducted without any help of lawyers and judges but by the police officials, police jawans and the active participation of residents.

Since its inception, says the Government:

• Record 17,665 villages dispute free in Maharashtra

• Complaints Resolved – 11,00,000

• Gram Panchayats felicitated (cash prize) – 16,004

• Gram Panchayats awarded (special prize) – 1,223

(Pictures courtesy www.panchayat.gov.in)

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Deal with it

Maharashtra’s sending medical help to Kashmir

A team of doctors and nurses wait to make their way to the disaster-affected areas in Kashmir; will send essential medicines, too.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Prithviraj ChavanIt is one of the worst natural disasters to hit the country in recent times, and Jammu and Kashmir is still reeling from the after-effects of floods. While rescue operations are still on, the affected areas still house several people who wait to be rescued, and now, there are fears of epidemics spreading if the situation is not brought under control soon.

Maharashtra State is doing its bit to help the affected in J&K, by keeping a team of 25 doctors and 15 nurses on standby for the affected areas. Said State Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, “We have intimated their Government about our team of medical professionals that will be arriving to help. We have also asked the Chief Minister which medicines they require so that we can dispatch the same with the team. However, with communication lines down, he has not been able to reply. We are in touch with Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on the issue.”

Prior to this, the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund has already donated Rs 10 crore towards the rescue and relief efforts in J&K. The State Congress unit has also dispatched 15 rubber boats to aid the relief operations. “We are reviewing the situation and we can send more boats if necessary,” Chavan said.

(Pictures courtesy www.firstpost.com, photogallery.sandesh.com)

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Big story

‘Help!’ says Maharashtra CM to Modi

Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan wants the Centre to resolve the State’s load-shedding and power crisis, writes to Modi requesting help.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Yesterday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan had roundly criticised PM Narendra Modi and his Government for not fulfilling their ‘achche din aanewale hain’ promise. Today, Chavan wrote to Modi asking his help in involving all States to solve rising load-shedding problems.

In a letter dashed off to the PMO today, Chavan expressed his concerns over private power generators expressing inability to continue with their operations, in lieu of disputes arising out of fuel unavailability. The letter was sent a day after Mumbai, the country’s financial capital, experienced unprecedented hours of near-total blackout in the business and tony residential neighbourhoods for a few hours.

In the letter, Chavan has urged Modi to look for a solution to the problem of load-shedding in at least five affected States, of which Maharashtra is one.

See the letter reproduced below:

‘DGIPR/ CMO

September 3, 2014

Respected Prime Minister,

As you are aware, competitive bids had been invited for supply of power by involving the Private Sector in electricity generation. However, since the bids were finalised, there have arisen very serious issues regarding fuel availability. Legal challenges have emerged due to change in laws that have lead to disputes arising out of the Power Purchase Agreement that were executed. As a result of these disputes, Private Generators have expressed inability to continue with the operation. This has led to large scale load shedding across the State. Due to the ongoing Ganpati Festival in Maharashtra, the problem has become more acute.

The State Government has been engaging with the Private Power Producers for almost two years to find a solution. To resolve this crisis, I have also held a meeting with Shri Piyush Goyal, Hon.MoS (Power), Govt. of India, in the presence of Shri Sharad Pawar, MP on 30th August, 2014 in Mumbai. During the meeting, it was felt that in view of the magnitude of the problem and its national ramification, the matter needs to be resolved at the highest level. The fact that this problem is being faced by at least five States calls for a larger consultation and involvement of the Govt. of India to resolve the issue.

I earnestly request that you may please call a meeting of Chief Ministers of the concerned States so that an early solution could be found.

 

Sd-

Prithviraj Chavan,

Chief Minister, Maharashtra.’

(Picture courtesy www.facenfacts.com)

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Big story

‘Blood on call’ to be operational from tomorrow

In case of an emergency, you can call a helpline and get blood delivered to your doorstep within the hour.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

It is a novel attempt, and the country’s first, to have a ‘blood delivery’ service operational. Maharashtra will formally roll out its ambitious ‘Blood On Call’ or the ‘Jeevan Amrut Seva’ emergency blood supply service all over the State from tomorrow, January 7, 2014.

The Government has been testing the service for a year now – the pilot project was launched in Satara and later Sindhudurg, last year. Tomorrow, the State’s Health Department and Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan will inaugurate the service for all of Maharashtra at the State-run JJ Hospital, Byculla. The inauguration will take place at 4 pm.

What’s the service about?

“Too often, people requiring blood of a certain group have to run from pillar to post to get it. If it’s an emergency, every minute counts. With the ‘Blood On Call’ service, people can simply dial the toll-free number, give the details of the blood group and the reason for requiring it, and the blood will be delivered within one hour,” explained State Health Minister Suresh Shetty. The blood will be priced “at pre-decided Government rates” and will be of “good quality”, the Minister assured. Users will need to dial 104 and the required numbers of packets will be delivered in sealed containers in an hour. The call centre for the service is currently based in Pune. However, coordinating centres in 10 major cities in the State will be fully operational in the next four months, Shetty said. For now, existing blood banks in the State are part of the network for this service.

When the coordinating agency sends its representative to the patient, a quick cross-match of blood type is done via a blood test. Once the blood type and specific requirement (for plasma, RBC, platelet or whole blood) is ascertained, the packets will be sold to the patient at a rate of Rs 450 per bag. Transport costs will also have to borne by the patient – Rs 50 for a distance of up to 10 km, and Rs 100 for up to 40 km.

The service will be operational in Mumbai and rest of Maharashtra from January 7, 2014.

(Picture courtesy zetco.pk)

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Learn

Chavan pushes for regulator in housing

The Maharashtra CM writes to the Centre asking for President’s assent for Housing Bill, citing the recent Campa Cola controversy.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

The recent Campa Cola controversy – and the brickbats that the State Government got over its handling of the issue – has spurred Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan to push for the Housing (Regulation and Development) Bill, 2012.

A release from Chavan’s office announced that the CM has written to Girija Vyas, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, requesting her to get President Pranab Mukherjee’s assent for the Bill – the Maharashtra State legislature has passed the Bill about 16 months ago.

Citing the recent Campa Cola issue, Chavan has said (in the release) that it is now important to have a regulator in housing and real estate, to prevent Development Control Rules being violated by builders. Chavan also feels that the Bill will go a long way in safeguarding the interests of home buyers and ensuring transparency in property deals. The biggest benefit of the Bill is that home buyers and investors can lodge complaints against builders (in cases of violations and non-compliance of agreement) to a regulatory authority, which will study the issue and pass an order within three months of the complaint being lodged.

The Bill also seeks to penalise builders and developers for not giving possession of flats at a stipulated date, for making changes in the original plan or flat design without the buyer’s consent, for not making a full disclosure about the land and the proposed project on it, among others.

(Picture courtesy www.indianexpress.com) 

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Big story

Decks cleared for Navi Mumbai Airport plan

Protesting farmers and Maharashtra State CM Prithviraj Chavan finally reach an agreement over compensation and land package for the sale.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

In a meeting that lasted over two hours on Monday, November 11, 2013, the State Government of Maharashtra and farmers from Ulwe village (Panvel) finally reached an agreement over the compensation package for the land sale over the Navi Mumbai airport issue.

In a press release issued from State CM Prithviraj Chavan’s office, the Government is said to have agreed on giving 22.5 per cent land back as developed plots out of total land acquired from the farmers whose lands will be affected as part of the airport project. Earlier, the farmers had insisted on 35 per cent land back as part of the compensation.

Once complete, this will be the city’s second airport.

The press release says, “The 22.5 per cent land back offer (12.5 per cent from State and 10 per cent from CIDCO) was agreed to by the representatives of the farmers. The State has decided that each farmer that will be displaced by the project will get a house that is triple the size of his existing house. Further, the land that will be given as compensation will be close to the airport project, so that the end beneficiaries may gain commercially from their proximity to the airport.” It is being discussed that the land will be developed with modern infrastructure as well, and will be called ‘Pushpaknagar’.

However, the package comes with a rider from the CM – if the project and the rehabilitation component is perceived as ‘too costly’, the State will remain free to explore “other options”, he is learnt to have said during the meeting.

The Navi Mumbai airport project is spread over 1,160 hectares of land, out of which 685 hectares were already in the possession of the City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco), which officiates as the nodal agency for the project. The Central Government had granted the necessary environmental clearances to the project over three years ago. However, farmers’ agitating over the lack of clarity over compensation from the State had held up progress in the matter till date, over the remaining 475 hectares. The required land surveys for the project will begin soon, and the CM has instructed that a review meeting with the project-affected farmers/their representatives be held every week from now.

(Picture courtesy shaikhhashim.blogspot.com)

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