GLOBAL MEMORIAL OF THE LEGEND - … · GLOBAL MEMORIAL OF THE LEGEND. ... Prime Minister Narendra...

2015: THE YEAR OF CHANGE � A VISION FOR VIDARBHA � NANDGAONPETH � PENCH NATIONAL PARK

V O L . 4 I S S U E 1 2 � D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5 � ` 5 0 � PA G E S 5 2

GLOBAL MEMORIALOF THE LEGEND

SEEKING LORD’S BLESSINGMinister for Revenue prays at Pandharpur for a drought-free, peaceful and prosperous Maharashtra

Minister forRevenue, EknathKhadse performed

a puja of Lord Vitthal andRukmani on the occasionof Kartik Ekadashi atPandharpur recently. Thesenior Cabinet Ministerprayed to Lord Vitthal tomake Maharashtra freefrom drought and attainpeace and prosperity. The85-year-old Warkari fromJaduwadi, Malegaontaluka, Nashik, DamodarRatan Somase and his 78-year-old wife LaxmibaiDamodar Somaseperformed the official pujawith the Cabinet Minister.Thousands of devoteesgathered in the holy city ofPandharpur on theauspicious occasion.

Minister for Revenue, Eknath Khadse with his wife and Warkari couple, Damodar Ratan Somase and Laxmibai Damodar Somase offer prayers at the official pujaof Lord Vitthal–Rukmini in Pandharpur, Maharashtra

09PANCHTEERTHWHERE HISTORYWAS MADEThe five important places relatedto the life of Bharat Ratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar havebeen declared as Panchteerth. Afeature on the destinations

14SWACHHTA ABHIYANSUCCESS STORIES:SOLAPUR & NAGPURSolapur District CollectorTukaram Mundhe and NagpurDistrict Collector Sachin Kurveshare the achievements of themission in their districts

18SPOTLIGHT A NEW VISIONFOR VIDARBHAA multi-pronged strategy totransform the region and bring insocio-economic developmentcovers agriculture, industries,infrastructure and tourism

CONTENTSWHAT’S INSIDE

D ISCLA IMER : V I E W S A N D O P I N I O N S E X P R E S S E D I N T H E M A G A Z I N E A R E T H O S E O F W R I T E R S

24YEAR ENDERMAHARASHTRA 2015A report on key developments inthe State in past one year, fromChief Minister’s foreign visits toJayukta Shivar Yojana, Make inMaharashtra and SwachhMaharashtra Abhiyan

30INDUSTRYDRIVEN BYMILL POWERGovernment envisionsdevelopment of Vidarbha asIndia’s new textile hub; thetextile park at Nandgaonpeth isthe first step towards the vision

34FORTEXPLORING THEUNEXPLOREDVidarbha is known for itshistorical land and hill forts. Avisit to the forts to understandtheir history, architectureand the role they played

40WANDERLUSTWHERE NATUREBECKONSIf you wish to get enchanted bynature’s beauty, the wildlife, openmeadows and grasslands, PenchNational Park is where you needto head this winter vacation

MAHARASHTRA AHEAD � DECEMBER 2015 03

12IN PERSONCHANDRASHEKHARBAWANKULEMinister for Energy, New andRenewable Energy Resources inan interview talks about the workdone by his department towardsState’s progress in past one year

05COVER STORY

TRIBUTE TO THESOCIAL CRUSADERPrime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated topublic the London house of Bharat RatnaDr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. The memorial is atribute to the principal architect of Constitution ofIndia and the leader who stood for equal rights

VOL. 4 ISSUE 12 � DECEMBER 2015 � `50 � PAGES 52

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFManisha Patankar-Mhaiskar

MANAGING EDITORChandrashekhar Oak

ASSIGNMENT EDITORDevendra Bhujbal

EDITORKirti Pande

EXECUTIVE EDITORKriti Lalla

TEAM CO-ORDINATIONEDITING

Suresh Wandile(Deputy Director)

ADMINISTRATIONDigamber Palve

(Sr. Assistant Director)

SALES AND CIRCULATIONAshwini Pujari

(Sub-Editor)

MEDIA TRANSASIAASSOCIATE EDITOR

Jyoti Verma

ASSISTANT EDITORPallavi Singh

DEPUTY ART DIRECTORSachin Jain

CHAIRMANJ.S. Uberoi

PRESIDENTXavier Collaco

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FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

The month of November witnessed the historic moment of dedication ofLondon house of Bharat Ratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar to public by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in presence of Chief Minister DevendraFadnavis at London. The house, where the great legend spent years during his

studies in London was acquired by the State Government in August 2015. TheGovernment of Maharashtra will now develop this as an international memorial. Itwill inspire students going for higher studies in London.

In October, while performing the foundation-laying ceremony of the memorial of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar at Indu Mills, Mumbai, the Prime Minister had announcedthe five key places associated with the life of the social crusader and architect ofthe Constitution of India to be developed as Panchteerth. We include an exclusivearticle giving information of these places.

December is the month when State Assembly’s winter session takes place at Nagpur.The session is important fromVidarbha’s point of view. The issueincludes a special article on the variousdecisions taken by the Government fordevelopment of the region.

The Swachh Maharashtra Abhiyan isbecoming a huge success with theinitiatives and awareness created bythe State Government. Exemplarywork has been done by many localbodies in the field. The issue has takencognisance of excellent works done inNagpur and Solapur under theAbhiyan. Such good works stand to bean inspiration for other districts.

To observe the accomplishmentsof State Government’s oneyear in office, the Directorate Generalof Information and Public Relationstook many initiatives. There were

special issues of Lokrajya Marathi and Urdu, Maharashtra Ahead, a booklet on oneyear of fulfilment of promises, booklets on all districts, tableaus and specialprogrammes on Dilkhulas and Jai Maharashtra.

The award-giving ceremony of Best Journalism Award for the year 2014 wasa special occasion. At the function, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis presentedLokmanya Tilak Lifetime Achievement Award to renowned columnist Padma ShriMuzaffar Hussain. Seventeen journalists were felicitated. The Chief Ministerannounced a new award from next year for journalists, who would work for creatingawareness for Swachh Maharashtra Abhiyan.

In other articles, we bring to you a jungle safari in Pench National Park, the ruralfolk theatre of Khadi Gammat and the amazing forts of Vidarbha. Enjoy the editionand let us know your feedback.

Manisha Patankar-MhaiskarEditor-in-Chief, Maharashtra Ahead, DGIPR

A TRIBUTETO THE EPITOME

The London House of Bharat Ratna Dr. BabasahebAmbedkar which will be transformed into aninternational memorial, was dedicated to people byPrime Minister Narendra Modi at London on

November 14. This was indeed a historic moment and a tributeby the Maharashtra Government to the epitome of unity andbrotherhood. Speaking on the occasion, Maharashtra ChiefMinister Devendra Fadnavissaid the country will progress onthe principles of social equalityand fraternity inscribed by Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar in theConstitution of India.

The house where Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar stayedwhile pursuing his studies atLondon was opened as memorialto public in presence of PrimeMinister Narendra Modi andChief Minister DevendraFadnavis. Minister for SocialJustice Rajkumar Badole,Member of Parliament RamdasAthawale, Former Minister Sulekha Kumbhare and otherdignitaries were present on the occasion.

The moment the Prime Minister entered the historic housesituated at King Henry Road, the atmosphere was filled withslogans of Jai Bheem. On the occasion, Prime MinisterNarendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis paidtributes to Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. Prime Minister was


COVER STORYLONDON MEMORIAL

TRIBUTE TO SOCIAL

CRUSADERThe Prime Minister having dedicatedDr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s London house asmemorial to the public is a fitting tributeto the architect of Constitution of India whostood for social equality and fraternity

ChiefMinisterDevendraFadnavis saidIndia willprogress on theprinciples ofsocial equalityand fraternityinscribed byDr. BabasahebAmbedkar

(From top) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis,M.P. Ramdas Athawale pay tributes to Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar at London

06 MAHARASHTRA AHEAD � DECEMBER 2015 M

warmly welcomed by the Chief Minister on the occasion. ThePrime Minister, while visiting the house got himselfacquainted with the rare pictures and things of historicimportance kept there. He not only minutely observed theobjects, but also expressed his gratitude towards them.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said that theprinciples of social justice and equality of Dr. BabasahebAmbedkar will always inspire the world. On the occasion,Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis penning down his feelingsin the visitor’s book kept at the memorial, mentioned that “thisis a historic day, the house of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar wherehe stayed while pursuing education at London School of

Economics, has been opened as memorial to public by PrimeMinister Narendra Modi. The principles of social equality andfraternity given by Dr. Ambedkar through the IndianConstitution proved its importance for the development of thenation. I pay my humble tributes to the real son of BharatMata (son of soil), Jai Bheem, Jai Bharat, Jai Maharashtra!’’

Earlier, during Prime Minister’s visit for the foundationlaying ceremony of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s memorial atIndu Mill in Mumbai, the Chief Minister had requested him tovisit the London house. Having accepted the invitation, thePrime Minister included the programme in his London tour.The historic moment was witnessed by the entire world.

COVER STORYLONDON MEMORIAL

(Clockwise from top) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Minister, Social Justice, Rajkumar Badole with a replica of Ashok Stambh;Prime Minister and Chief Minister look at the rare pictures related to Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and the Prime Minister signs the visitors book at the London memorial

F


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Freedom of mind is the real freedom. A person, whose mind is not free though he may not be in chains, is a slave,not a free man. One, whose mind is not free, though he maynot be in prison, is a prisoner and not a free man.One whose mind is not free though alive, is no better thandead. Freedom of mind is the proof of one’s existence. Wemust break the chains, once and forever.

—DR. B. R. AMBEDKAR (1891-1956)

The rousing words of Bharat Ratna Dr. BhimraoAmbedkar encourage one to be free in thoughts andmake a world that respects freedom of mind. Around1947, when the golden words were said, the task was

easier said than done in a country that was not only divided bycastes and religions, but was also a captive for over150 years.The scenario, however, did not deter the revolutionary drivenby the agonies of his own life and the vast education he

acquired, to devise solutions to the problems people faced. Born on April 14, 1891 to Bhimabai and Ramji

Ambavadekar, an army officer stationed at Mhow in MadhyaPradesh, Bhimrao was from a lower caste and had limitedrights in Indian society. The family was from the town ofAmbavade, in Mandangad taluka of Ratnagiri district ofmodern-day Maharashtra. Bhimrao belonged to the poor, lowMahar (dalit) caste, which was treated as Untouchable andsubjected to socio-economic discrimination. Although theyattended school, Bhimrao and other Mahar children weresegregated and given little attention or help by teachers. Theywere not allowed to sit inside the class and served water fromsomeone of a higher caste from a height. It was this abjectpoverty and cruelty that led Bhimrao to begin his mission ofchanging the social, cultural and spiritual state of the backward.

Bhimrao’s biggest weapon in the fight was his acumen andkeenness to learn. Besides his extraordinary intellectual powers,he was gifted with an ambitious father, encouraging teachers,and a royal benefactor, all of which together helped him attendcollege in Bombay and then Columbia University, a first foranyone of his background. With his perseverance and grit, heraced through an MA and a Ph.D in anthropology and politicaleconomy, writing Masters and Doctoral. His feat sent him nextto London School of Economics (LSE), where he began a secondMA in 1916. In 1917, he was abruptly summoned back to Indiaby the benefactor to repay the debt and work.

THE INSPIRATION LIVES ONBharat Ratna Dr. B. R. Ambedkar was a jurist, economist, politician and social reformerwho inspired a nation that was free, just and inclusive. He inspired the Modern BuddhistMovement and campaigned against social discrimination, says DDrr.. PPrraaddeeeepp AAggllaavvee

COVER STORYMAHAPARINIRVAN DIN

Coming back to India, unfortunately, brought back thesame, insulting, caste-based incidents. Bhimrao was anUntouchable again. Upset and frustrated, he quit his job andwent back to Bombay to rejoin his family. He was appointedas a professor of political economy at Sydenham College andsoon saved enough money to go back to London to resume hisstudies. Between 1920 and 1923, he earned a second MA anda second PhD at the LSE, as well as a law degree from Gray’sInn in London. By late 1920s, the 32-year-old lawyer wascalled to the Bar. He started a practice at the Bombay HighCourt, began publishing his scholarly papers, was appointedprofessor at the Government Law College, was nominated tothe Bombay Legislative Council, and ran journals andcommunity organisation dealing with the rights of dalits. Healso launched a series of agitations and campaigns todemand that dalits be allowed to access public goods such asdrinking water from tanks and wells, to move freely and in adignified manner, and be granted entry into sacred templesjust like other Hindus.

In 1930, he led thousands of activists to the KalaramTemple in Nashik, demanding access to the temple. In 1932,he reluctantly agreed to Mahatma Gandhi’s plea to drop the

demand for a separate electorate for dalits, in what came to becalled as the Poona Pact. From 1935 onwards, Dr. Ambedkartold his followers to find justice outside the folds of Hinduism.

CONSTITUTION AND BUDDHISMIn some years, India attained freedom from the British rule. OnAugust 29, 1947, a resolution of Constituent Assemblyappointed a Drafting Committee with seven members,including Dr. B.R. Ambedkar for preparing a draft of theConstitution of independent India. It is said when drafting of theConstitution of India was embarked upon, Pandit JawaharlalNehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel thought of inviting knownconstitutional expert, Sir Guor Jennings. When approached foradvice in the matter, Mahatma Gandhi reported to have toldthem, why they should be looking for foreign experts when theyhad an eminent legal and constitutional expert in Dr.Ambedkar. The then Law Minister, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar wasappointed the chairman of the Drafting Committee.

The Constituent Assembly took two years 11 months and 18days in framing the Constitution of India. It was adopted onNovember 26, 1949. The Constitution heralded an era ofequality, social justice and practice of equity. Yet, turbulence,

trauma and inhuman practicespersisted. Dr. BabasahebAmbedkar, therefore, thought ofpolitical isolation and demandeda separate preserve forScheduled Castes. With an all-pervasive vision of socio-religiousrealities, he struck upon the pathof Buddhism and ignited thespirit of men for the attainmentof equality and liberty. In the1950s, he travelled to manycountries where Buddhismflourished. On October 14, 1956,less than two months before hedied, he converted to Buddhism

with about 3.65 lakh of his followers in Nagpur.Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s work on the uplift of the

backward not only helped India, but struck a chord withbackward societies all across the world. Presidents of theBuraku, a socially exploited community in Japan, came toIndia to study his philosophy to act on it back home. JanosOrsos, the president of the gypsy community in Hungary,Europe, was also inspired by the leader. Just like Karl Marxled a revolution in 1917 Russia, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar re-ignited Buddhism in India by embracing it. Not less than areligious leader for the dalits, every year lakhs of followersvisit Chaityabhoomi on the death anniversary of their hero.The day, December 6, observed as Mahaparinirvan Din, seeslakhs of Ambedkar followers gather at Shivaji Park in Dadar,Mumbai. The mass gathering displays the inspiration andbelief that Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar was.

India’sConstitutionwas adopted onNovember 26,1949. TheConstitutionheralded an eraof equality,social justiceand practiceof equity

08 MAHARASHTRA AHEAD � DECEMBER 2015

COVER STORYMAHAPARINIRVAN DIN

Bharat Ratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar was a notedscholar, jurist and revolutionist apart from being thechief architect of the Constitution of India. Theleader throughout his life fought for the rights of

socially backward classes. In the year of 125th birthanniversary of the revolutionary, Prime Minister NarendraModi has resolved to develop the five places associated withthe life and mission of the great leader. Termed Panchteerthby the Prime Minister, these places are Ambedkar Monumentat Mhow, Madhya Pradesh, Ambavade village in Ratnagiridistrict, Dr. Ambedkar’s residence in Delhi, the house wherehe stayed in London and the Indu Mill area in Mumbai.

AMBEDKAR MONUMENT, MHOWDr. Bhimrao Ambedkar was born to Bhimabai and RamjiMaloji Sakpal on April 14, 1891 at Mhow in Madhya Pradesh.His ancestors had been serving the army of the BritishEmpire, and his father served in the Indian Army at the Mhow

cantonment, rising to the rank of Subedar. A memorial can be seen at Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s

birthplace, which has become a place of worship for Indians atlarge. The memorial is in the shape of a Buddhist stupa, builtat a spot where his father’s quarters used to be. Located by theAgra–Mumbai Road, it is a marvelous piece of architecturemade of white marble with the statue of the great leader in thefacade. It houses photographs and life history of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar.

AMBAVADE, RATNAGIRIDr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s native village Ambavade holdssignificance in his life. Located in Mandangad taluka ofRatnagiri district, this is where a young Bhima was named asAmbedkar. His original surname Ambavadekar comes fromthis village. Researchers say that his father Subhedar Ramjiadmitted his son at the Government High School, Satara,Maharashtra (now known as Pratap Singh High School). His

COVER STORYPANCHTEERTH

WHERE HISTORY WAS MADEThe five important places related to the life of Bharat Ratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkarhave been declared Panchteerth. DDrr.. DDhhaannrraajj DDaahhaatt pays a visit to the places

Ambedkar Monument,Mhow, Madhya Pradesh

C


COVER STORYPANCHTEERTH

surname was changed from Ambavadekar to Ambedkar withthe recommendation and faith of Mahadev Ambedkar, aDeshasta Brahmin teacher, who believed in him.

What is interesting to note is that at the time when Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar was heading to London for a roundtable conference, the same teacher handed over a letter ofappreciation to Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, which he preservedwith utmost care. In his later years, when Dr. BabasahebAmbedkar had made a mark for himself in public life, theteacher went all the way to meet his favourite student atDamodar Hall in Mumbai. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar not onlyreceived him with honour and gratitude, but also humblybowed to him with utmost respect and humility.

ALIPUR ROAD, DELHISpread over three acres, the house at 26, Alipur Road, NorthDelhi, was the last home of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. Heoccupied the bungalow on November 1, 1951. This is where hestayed while he was independent India’s first Law Minister.Historians say, this is where he penned some of his famousworks, including The Buddha and His Dhamma, Buddha orKarl Marx and Revolution and Counter Revolution. Themeetings of Scheduled Caste Federation were also held at thisresidence. It was here that Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar passedaway on December 6, 1956.

In 2012, the Union Government took a decision to convertDr. Bhimrao Ambedkar’s Delhi residence, where he breathedhis last, into a memorial inspired by Buddhist architecture. Itwould house his memorabilia and a photo gallery covering allimportant aspects of his life and work. The construction of thememorial is in full swing.

KING HENRY’S ROAD, LONDONA global personality, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar travelled theworld for education and Buddhism. A place where he stayedfor his higher education was London. In 1913, he was selectedby the Gaikwad ruler to travel to the United States and enrollat Columbia University, at a scholarship of $11.5 per month.Winning his degree and doctorate, he later travelled to Londonand enrolled at Gray’s Inn and London School of Economics(LSE), to study law and prepare a doctoral thesis in economics.

The expiration of his scholarship the following year forced himto temporarily abandon his studies and return to India.

He was able to return to England in 1920 with the supportof the Maharaja of Kolhapur, his Parsi friend and his ownsavings. By 1923 he completed a thesis, The Problem of theRupee. He was awarded a D.Sc. by the University of London, andon finishing his law studies, he was simultaneously admitted tothe British Bar as a barrister. On his way back to India, Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar spent three months in Germany, wherehe studied further in economics at the University of Bonn. Hewas formally awarded a Ph.D by Columbia University on June8, 1927. His third and fourth Doctorate (Ll.D, Columbia, 1952and Ll.D., Osmania, 1953) were conferred honoris causa.

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s residence in London whilepursuing D.Sc. at the LSE in 1921-22, a 2,050 sq. ft. propertyon King Henry’s Road, is a three-storeyed building. Thescholar wrote papers on economics during this period. In 2015,Government of Maharashtra decided to transform the house intoan international memorial-cum-research centre. In November,Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister DevendraFadnavis inaugurated the memorial. On the occasion, the ChiefMinister said, “Our Government has decided to awardscholarship to two dalit students every year to study at theLondon School of Economics.”

(From above) The inside view of the house at Alipur Road, Delhi,where Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar spent his years as the first Law Minister ofIndia. The new memorial is being developed at the place.

Ambavade village,Ratnagiri district


The 125-year-old structure in London is likely to beredesigned as per the plans drawn by the State Governmentand in consultation with overseas authorities. The ChiefMinister said, “Today, lot of works of Dr. BabasahebAmbedkar remain under wraps. We would like people whotour London (foreigners and domestic) to visit the centre. It isour endeavour to make Dr. Ambedkar’s writings global.”

INDU MILL, MUMBAIThe Dadar area in Mumbai holds significance because of

the stay of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. His residence here isnamed Rajgriha. A chaitya was later built at the spot where Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar was laid to rest, giving it the nameChaityabhoomi. Millions of people from all over India visit thisplace every year on December 6, his death anniversary, to paytheir homage and respect to the great leader.

The State Government has taken a decision to construct amemorial on the sprawling 2.50 lakh sq. ft. area. The memorialwill cover about 7.4 hectares of Indu Mill land acquired fromthe National Textile Corporation. The bhoomipoojan of

the memorial was done byPrime Minister NarendraModi in October this year,in the presence of GovernorCh. Vidyasagar Rao andChief Minister DevendraFadnavis. The memorialwill have a 150-feet-tallstatue of Dr. BabasahebAmbedkar and comprise astupa, 140 feet in height and110 m in circumference.There will be an AshokaChakra covering the struc -ture and a vipassana (medi -tation) hall with a seatingcapacity of 13,000.

A section, named Gallery of Struggle, showcasingimportant events associated with the life and work of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar will also be part of the project. Thememorial will also house an auditorium, a guest house,museum, library, a beautiful garden and a spacious parkingarea. The memorial, to be developed at a cost of over ̀ 400 crorein the city where the icon and architect of the Constitutionlived for several years, is planned to be completed during thetenure of the present Government.

(The writer is a Resource person at RTM NagpurUniversity, Department of Dr. Ambedkar Thoughts)

The StateGovernmentplans to builda grand memorialof Dr. BabasahebAmbedkar with astupa, auditorium,guest house,museum, library,garden and aparking lot at theIndu Mills area inDadar, Mumbai

(From left) The house where Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar stayed during his study at London will be converted into an international memorial dedicated to him andPrime Minister Narendra Modi during a visit to the memorial in London

(From top) Prime Minister Narendra Modi performs bhoomipoojan at Indu Mill,Mumbai, and the model of the memorial

s



Maharashtra is the first State to announce a policyfor non-conventional energy resources. Solarenergy is being prioritised. Electrical Inspector isbeing shifted from PWD to Energy Department.

The work for new thermal power generation sets at Koradiand Chandrapur is almost complete, and by the end of March2016, more than 2,000 MW of electricity will be available tothe State, shares Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Ministerfor Energy, New and Renewable Energy Resources, in aninterview with Vivek Joshi. In past one year, his departmenthas seen sanctions of additional power distribution projectsof MSEDCL. Pending electrical connections to agriculturalpumps are set to be completed by end of March 2016. Excerptsfrom the interview:

Q. Share with us the key decisions taken by you asState’s Energy Minister.A. Energy is one of the most important departments in theState Ministry. Around 12 crore consumers from the Statehave been connected and the expectations from the Depart -ment have towered. I have prioritised justice for farmers,consumers and entrepreneurs. During the year, manyimportant decisions have been taken. I made efforts towardsreducing the electricity tariff for common people and wassuccessful in reducing the rates by 35 paise per unit.

Q. It is believed that electricity generation has stalleddue to unavailability of coal.A. It is not true. With efforts made by Union PowerMinister Piyush Goyal, sufficient coal is being madeavailable through Eastern Coal Fields Ltd. A decision isbeing taken to invest Government capital in electricitygeneration projects to rejuvenate them so that electricitygenerated could be supplied to people. This will make

available new electricity generation centres at lower costs.

Q. Please throw light on load-shedding in the State.A. Electricity is not available in cases of technical faults,maintenance and repairs or when the bills are not paid.Otherwise, electricity is available 24x7 for household consumers.

Electricity can be provided foragricultural pumps only for eighthours according to an Act of theState Government. The reason fornot supplying more than eighthours is due to restrictions placedon lifting ground water. A load-shedding-free State is not a dreamany more for Maharashtra; it is adream that is turning into reality.

Q. Electricity is important

f

IN PERSONSTATE CABINET MINISTER

“A LOADSHEDDING-FREESTATE IS NOTA DREAM ANYMORE FORMAHARASHTRA;IT IS DREAMTHAT ISTURNING INTOREALITY”

“MAHARASHTRAIS THE FIRST STATE TO ANNOUNCE A NON-CONVENTIONAL

ENERGYRESOURCES POLICY”

for the State and its mega projects. What are yourinitiatives?A. Make in Maharashtra is not just an agenda for the ChiefMinister, but a mission close to heart and a priority for everymember of the State Cabinet. It is not correct to say that theelectricity rates are high for the State consumers. The commonman is getting electricity at `3-4. This is the first time after1999 that the electricity rates have dropped by 5.82 per cent.Consumers using 0-300 units per month will receive benefitsof the same. Common consumers do not use 300 units permonth, thus, will not have to pay higher rate of electricity.

Acommittee has been constituted to go into the question ofprovision of electricity to industries at lower rates. Thecommittee is studying the topic and would present their reportto the Government soon. To control pilferage and losses, feederfranchisee concept has been brought in.

Q. What are the steps taken for promotion of non-

conventional energy in the State? A. Foreign investors have come forward to invest in solarprojects. The Government will soon come out with a policy onit. On this, a Government technical establishment,Maharashtra Energy Development Authority is working withfull force. We are making efforts to provide 5 lakh solar-basedagricultural pumps to farmers in the State. The target forpower generation from non-conventional energy sources hasbeen set at 15,000 MW. Apart from solar, wind energy based,molasses-based, agro-residue based, small hydro-based and

industrial waste-based projectsare being set up.

Solar electricity generationsets—of 1 KW to 50 KWcapacities—will be installed ontop of the buildings and on land.Using solar energy for hot wateris being made compulsory. Ourpolicy for saving electricalenergy is through use of LEDlights in Municipal Councils andMunicipal Corporation areas.

Q. As the Guardian Minister for Nagpur, what workhave you done so far?A. I got a religious tourism development project for Koradi at anexpenditure of ̀ 431 crore. We were following up the project formany years. The Government has sanctioned `1,508 crore forrehabilitation of MIHAN. Lands for eminent institutes such asNational Law University, AIIMS hospital, IIM and IIIT havebeen approved and sanctioned by the Government. Immediatehelp was provided to flood-hit people during last August. I tookthe matter up with New Delhi for restarting of District CentralCo-operative Bank. Now, the bank will start shortly.

Development works in the city and district to the tune of`300 crore have been sanctioned under DPDC. Sanction for`65 crore for tribal and `132 crore for remedial measures forScheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes has been provided. Mytarget for tanker-free district under Jalyukta Shivar Yojana isset for 2018 and most of the works have been completed. Adecision has been taken to make all electrical linesunderground in Nagpur City.

Maharashtra is first to announce a policy for non-conventional energy resources. Solar energy is being priori -tised. The work for new thermal power generation sets atKoradi and Chandrapur is almost complete, and by the end ofMarch 2016, more than 2,000 MW of electricity will beavailable to the State. Additional power distribution projects ofMSEDCL have been sanctioned. All the pending electricalconnections to agricultural pumps would be completed byMarch end. In my first year in the office, I have strived to seethat the contribution of energy department is maximised in theprogress of the State by working around 16-18 hours a day, andI shall continue to do so in the future.


“SOLAR POWERGENERATIONSETS OF 1 KWTO 50 KWCAPA CITIES WILLBE INSTALLED.USING SOLARENERGY FOR HOTWATER ISBEING MADECOMPULSORY”

overnment of Maharashtra launched Swachh Maha -rashtra Abhiyan (Urban) on the lines of Centre’sSwachh Bharat Abhiyan. Kurduwadi and KarmalaMunicipal Councils in Solapur district were the firstcities to be declared open defecation free in the State

under the programme. Solapur District Collector TukaramMundhe, in an interview with Vijaykumar Sonawane, talksabout his team’s initiatives that brought a huge difference interms of sanitation in the district. Excerpts:

Q. How did you encourage people to give up opendefecation?A. Making citizens take up the habit of building and using toiletsat homes and, in turn, helping the number of toilets in the citiesincrease was the first priority of Swachh Maharashtra Abhiyan.People opting for open defecation were acknowledged with musicand roses early in the morning in a Gandhigiri style. At placeswhere even this was not effective, photographs of people going for

open defecation were put up on boards. Later, students used togather to question them about the practice. To keep the groundsfree from defecation, we placed flood lights there. We providedpublic toilets. All these measures steadily brought ODF to sevenMunicipal Councils of Solapur, leaving Barshi and Pandharpur.The seven Municipal Councils—Kurduwadi, Karmala, Akalkot,Dudhni, Maindargi, Mangalwedha and Sangola—are now duefor an inspection by a State-level committee.

Q. What were your plans for solid waste and how far hasthese been successful? A. We collected waste from houses. From January 15, 2015, wedecided the routes for Ghantagadi. Its timetable was placed onevery square. We created awareness among citizens aboutgiving the waste to these vehicles only. We removed all wastebins from the city and issued stern warning to people to notplace any such bins anywhere in the city. We were, thus, able tocollect 95 per cent solid waste of a city daily. On a public holiday,February 22, 2015, we ran a special campaign. About 36,000people, our team, including Mayor, elected representatives,officers and staff, participated in the programme. Within six toseven hours, we had cleaned every office under the campaign.After the success of this campaign, we organised a campaign forPandharpur City on April 12. Here, 11,000 people with our staffand officers participated. We lifted about 145 metric tonnes ofwaste from the city during the campaign.

Q. How did you plan AshadhiFair? A. Ashadhi Fair is an annualfestival. This year, for safecelebrations, we used Ham Radioand a hotline for the first time. Abrief on the fair was sent to the ChiefMinister’s Control Room in Mumbaidaily. The IRS system was used forthe first time. With cooperation from52 departments, we built five pointsat the temple, Juni Peth, Navi Peth,Sant Peth and bus depot. All theincidents in the city were recordedat these points. Connectivity is ahassle during mega events. Thehotline ensured communicationbetween the officers throughout the

fair. The HAM radio was effective in a perimeter of 100 kmaround Pandharpur. The main centre was at Shingnapur.

Q. Tell us about the amenities.A. We created facilities for sanitation and electricity at placeswhere the palanquins were to arrive. Once the palanquinsmoved, we cleaned the area within just three hours. All thepotholes on the roads were repaired. Drinking water and borewells were provided. A toll free number in case of an emergency


SWACHHTA ABHIYANSOLAPUR

G

“We have left nostone unturnedfor sanitation”

We triedeverything tomake people giveup the practice ofopen defecation.We gave themroses, took outprocessions andplaced theirphotographson boards

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was set up. Temporary toilets were built at 65 acres inPandharpur. The devotees, therefore, did not use river bankfor defecation. This also avoided health-related issues. Weplaced bins for waste, created a dam in 90 days to avoid opendefecation, and posted vigil groups. These made the city cleanand, for the first time, the devotees did not come across the foulsmell in river precincts.

Q. What would be your message to Solapur citizens?A. We are in the 21st century and in an era of information andtechnology. While we use smart TV and smart phones, wecannot lag behind in case of sanitation. Every home with asmart TV and a smart phone must have an individual toilet.We can not only maintain health through this, but also builda smart taluka, a smart city and a smart and clean India.

A FUND SET UP FORSWACHH MAHARASHTRA ABHIYAN

On the lines of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, a SwachhMaharashtra Kosh (cleanliness fund) will be set up forthe implementation of Swachh Maharashtra Abhiyan

(Urban and Rural). The decision was taken by Chief MinisterDevendra Fadnavis at a recent Cabinet meeting. The ChiefMinister will be the chairman of the fund, which will haveother members including Minister for Water Supply andCleanliness, Minister of State for Urban Development, ChiefSecretary, Additional Chief Secretary, Finance, PrincipalSecretary, Urban Development-1, and Secretary, UrbanDevelopment-2. The State Director of Swachh MaharashtraAbhiyan will be the treasurer.

The Cabinet announcement came after it was realised thatthe allocation from Union and State Governments for thecleanliness mission would not be sufficient. The new fundaims to achieve the objective of improving cleanlinessstandards in rural and urban areas. The fund has been set upfor managing contributions and corporate social responsibilityfunds towards the mission.

“

DHUDNI PATTERN OF CLEANLINESS

In Dhudni village of Akalkot taluka, the Municipal Councilhas set up 10 groups of Balveer. These groups have childrenbelow 14 years of age. The children ask the women of the

village, “Our mother makes use of toilet, what about you? Doyou make use of a toilet or go for open defecation.”

The recurring question has caught the attention of womenand created a need to have toilets. The children have beengiven T shirts by the Municipal Council, creating a differentidentity for them. With children asking such taxing questions,people have started to rethink about building toilets, helpingthe cause of the Swachh Maharashtra Abhiyan.

WHAT IS SOLAPURPATTERN?

� For making villagesdefecation free, there is aneed for constructingtoilets. Without publictoilets, the idea would havenot been transformed intoreality. Hence emphasis wasgiven to individual toilets.� Government assistance isone component. Withpeople now encouraged tomake use of toilets, it is notimportant how muchGovernment will give; infact, important is thedemand of the citizen. � Those going for opendefecation were felicitatedin Gandhigiri style earlymorning. At some places,small drums were beaten,while at some, roses wereoffered to people. In caseswhere even these acts didnot work, pictures ofpeople going for open

defecation were clicked and displayed. With embarrassment,people start using toilets. � People’s participation was important for SwachhMaharashtra Abhiyan. Awareness led to greater participationand positive results for the mega cleanliness programme.

People’s participationwas important for SwachhMaharashtra Abhiyan. Itwas made possible bycreating awarenessamong citizens. Theawareness led to greaterparticipation and positiveresults for the megacleanliness programme

ovad Municipal Council has become the firstin Vidarbha to attain freedom from opendefecation. The Chief Officer and executivesfrom the Council were felicitated by the ChiefMinister on October 1.

Movad Municipal Council was established in 1867 andhad an area of 52 hectares. The huge floods on July 30, 1991had cost the city 204 lives. It was later rehabilitated at 665hectares. Majority of its population is farmers. With 4,444males and 4,333 females, the total population of the city is8,777. Primary, secondary and higher education in the city isunder the management of Municipal Council. The State

Government has implemented many welfare schemes atMovad Municipal Council. Under these, 307 constructionshave been completed under small expenses sanitationscheme, 271 constructions have been completed underIntegrated Housing and Slum Development Programmeand 68 constructions under Ramai Awas Gharkul scheme

for Scheduled Castes and Neo-Buddhists, taking the total to646 constructions.

RESPONSE TO APPEALA primary survey for SwachhMaharashtra Abhiyan wasundertaken during July andAugust this year. This is when thecitizens were introduced toconstruction of toilets and madeaware of hygiene and toilets inhomes. The campaign was takento each doorstep.

Generally, people are aware ofthe importance of cleanliness andsanitation, but due to lack offunds and guidance, they com -promise on hygiene and opt for

open defecation. Awareness, thus, becomes important. Citizens came forward in response to Government’s appeal

and filled up the forms. The citizens who had applied onlinewere invited to a Swachh Maha rashtra Abhiyan meeting fordetailed info rmation. The citizens who did not have toiletswere given funds for the construction of toilets.

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was imple mented during


SWACHHTA ABHIYANNAGPUR

“Awarenessleads tobetter results”Nagpur District Collector SSaacchhiinn KKuurrvveeshares with Maharashtra Aheadthe experience and early achievementsof Swachh Maharashtra Abhiyanin the district

A survey forSwachhMaharashtrawas undertakento make peopleaware abouthygiene andtoilets in homes.The peoplerespondedenthusiasticallyto the appeal

�

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September and October 2015. Secondary school studentsparticipated in the activities. An essay competition was heldand all Municipal Council staff participated in cleaning theareas, gaining participation from citizens. It was due to thecooperation from residents that Movad Municipal Councilcould achieve cleanliness in such a short period.

PROHIBITION OF PLASTICSanitation is important for humankind. One of the reasons fordirtiness in urban cities is the unlimited use of plastic bags.Plastic bags need to be prohibited, not only for sanitation, butalso for protection of environment. Movad Municipal Counciltook up the challenge and prohibited plastic bags. A meetingof traders and businessmen was organised to implement theinitiative. A powerpoint presentation on the harmful effectsof plastic was shown at public places, weekly markets andNavaratri festival.

—As told to Anil Thakare

MESSENGERS OF CLEANLINESS

Famous for its cool weather, Lonavalawill soon be famous for its cleanlinessas well. Lonavala Municipal Council is

implementing Swachh Maharashtra Abhiyanwith full force, taking everyone along. Thecivic body has made its mind to clean thecity to underline its eternal natural beauty.

One of the initiatives of the MunicipalCouncil has been with school students. Ithas been observed that if children createawareness about any issue—such assanitation and cleanliness—it first impactstheir parents and eventually society. InLonavala, a competition was organised forspreading awareness. In this, students fromfifth to ninth standard participated classwise and appealed to people to not createmess, spit in public places and avoid use ofplastics, among others. The competition ledto awareness with the future leadersdrawing attention to today’s problem.

SANGLI GETS SANITATION AMBASSADORS

Our area has 30 houses. Every home has a toilet.However, I and my sister-in-law did not have a toilet inour house. We used to follow open defecation

sometimes. We used to feel bad about it. The Gram Sevakonce came and asked us why we were lagging behind? Wetook it to heart and decided that what may come, we shallhave a toilet in our home. We ventured finally. The chain wasplaced with the goldsmith,” says Sushila Bhimrao Dudhal.

Sushila Bhimrao Dudhal is educated up to seventh standardand is a resident of Dudhal near Dhulgaon, in Sangli. She is awidow. As a farm worker, she somehow manages the familythat has two sons and a daughter. Her cousin sister-in-law isRukmini Tukaram Dudhal. Educated up to fifth standard, shehas two sons. The ladies felt bad that only their homes lackedtoilets. Both were stressed that their children were defecatingin the open. Finally, both of them dared and pledged theirjewels with the goldsmith. Today, toilets are being constructedin their homes, and they are proud of this.

On the lines of Washim, now Sangli has ladies who havecome forward to construct toilets by pledging jewels. Nowboth of them have been chosen as district’s sanitationambassadors. Besides Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the State isimplementing Swachh Maharashtra Abhiyan. The response tothe programme has been praiseworthy in rural areas.

—Samprada Beedkar

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis hasadopted a multi-pronged strategy forinclusive growth of Vidarbha by inter-linking three critical sectors of agri -

culture, industries and infrastructure. With theobjective to transform the face of one of the mostbackward regions of Maharashtra, the StateGovernment has taken many decisions.

In a major policy shift, Devendra Fadnavis inlast one year took a decision to approach theproblems of Vidarbha with clinical precision bydiagnosing the root cause instead of providing merecosmetic solutions confined to agriculture. TheGovernment unveiled a five-year road map spellingout mega-projects with timeline to be pursuedrelentlessly for bringing in a change that wouldimpact about 25 crore people across the region.

In the wake of recurring drought and hailstorm,all the Vidarbha (and Marathwada) districts proneto farmer suicides were brought under food securityact, free electricity, health card and free educationto students, both in schools and those pursuingprofessional courses in public and private colleges.Across the 14 districts where farmer suicides hadtaken place, the special package has provided reliefand covered 68 lakh farmers. The farmers areprovided wheat for ̀ 2 per kg and rice for ̀ 3 per kg.Every family is given 35 kg of food grains andeach individual 5 kg.

Almost 47.28 lakh new electricity connectionswere provided to the farmers in these 14 districts ina year. The Chief Minister is confident that all the


SPOTLIGHTVIDARBHA

“THE REGIONWILL EMERGE ASAGRO-INDUSTRIALHOTSPOTOF MAHARASHTRA”

(Clockwise from above) The cottonproduction in Vidarbha, Chief MinisterDevendra Fadnavis meets farmers atthe launch of the food securityscheme and during a visit to Gosikhurdirrigation Project in Gondia district

A multi-pronged strategy for socio-economic development of Vidarbhacomplete with agriculture, industries andinfrastructure will transform the face ofcotton belt, says SShhuubbhhaannggii KKhhaapprree


pending electricity connections would be cleared byJune 2016. To avoid the children of farmers beingaffected by the crisis and their education beingdisturbed, the Government has declared freeeducation in both school and colleges. Studentspursuing professional courses in private collegeshave been given exemption from annual fees.

The Chief Minister, who has embarked on thechallenging mission of “zero suicide” of farmers,believes sustained economy coupled with alter -native mode of livelihood extended to farmers isthe only way ahead to overcome the agro-crisis inVidarbha. To begin with, the State Governmenthas set up Vasantrao Naik Shetkari SwabhimanMission to tackle the grave issue of farmersuicides. A farmer activist, Kishore Tiwari, whohas worked in Vidarbha, has been appointed asdirector of the institute. The household where afarmer has committed suicide has been givenpriority in jobs in State Transport Department.

Ensuring that finance does not come in theway of providing relief to farmers, the total croploan allocated during 2014-15 was `34,200 crore.In Nagpur, Wardha and Buldhana, district bankshave provided ̀ 380 crore with financial assistancefrom the Government.

The Chief Minister has maintained thatagriculture and irrigation cannot be pursued inisolation. He believes that reforms in irrigation interms of decentralisation of power in planning andexecution of projects will help in bringing moreaccountability in the system and boost agriculturalgrowth. As a result, Vidarbha Irrigation Develop -

TTHHEE KKEEYYFFEEAATTUURREESS� Total crop loanallocated during 2014-15 was ̀ 34,200 crore. InNagpur, Wardha andBuldhana, districtbanks have provided`380 crore withfinancial assistancefrom the Government.�Farmers are providedwheat for `2 per kg andrice for ̀ 3 per kg. Everyfamily is given 35 kg offoodgrains and eachindividual 5 kg.� To avoid the childrenof farmers gettingaffected by the crisisand their educationdisturbed, theGovernment hasdeclared freeeducation for them inboth school andcolleges.� To provide goodhealthcare in districtsreeling under agrariancrisis, Rajiv GandhiJeevandayee Yojanahas been provided.� The StateGovernment has set upVasantrao NaikShetkari SwabhimanMission to tacklethe grave issueof farmer suicides


Sment Corporation has been accorded powers toenforce and execute the project plans. It has alsofacilitated quick clearance in administrativeapprovals and decentralised transfer of officials inthe irrigation department to expedite the works inthe region and around.

To mitigate drought in the 14 affected districts,132 irrigation projects were cleared. This wouldbring 2.19 lakh hectares of land under irrigation.On the issue of pending works, the projects with70 to 75 per cent work done have been givenhighest priority in terms of administration andfinance. It has been mandated to get all these

projects completed within threeyears so that farmers can reapthe benefits.The State Government has takena decision to make Vidarbha thenew agro-hub housing 80 percent spinning mills and textileparks of the State keeping in

mind the cotton cultivation here. The region, whichalso produces one third of country’s oranges, isgetting a makeover with advanced processing unitsthat would generate new small-scale sectors andprovide market to farmers.

The impetus on infrastructure includes roadconnectivity and industries. Devendra Fadnavisbelieves that Make in Maharashtra cannot becomea reality without addressing the regional disparityin industrial and infrastructure sectors. A megaproject worth ̀ 30,000 crore stretched over 800 kmbetween Nagpur and Mumbai, Communi cation

f

(From top) Chief MinisterDevendra Fadnavis atSamadhan Shibir atNagpur, at a farmer’shouse in Vidarbha, andinaugurating NagpurMetro and the modelof the project

SPOTLIGHTVIDARBHA


Super Expressway has been approved. The project,which would drastically reduce the travel timebetween Nagpur–Mumbai to eight hours, wouldalso lead to development along the highway. Itpromises motels, food courts and other hospitalityservices, generating 20,000 jobs. The work willcomplete in 2019. The development on MIHANhas surged ahead, as long-pending hurdles relatedto land acquisition and affordable power tariffhave been resolved.

While tapping investments for Make inMaharashtra abroad, Chief Minister DevendraFadnavis simultaneously worked on a tribaldevelopment plan. A pilot project has beenundertaken in a remote village, Harisal in districtAmravati. A digital village project will be pursuedby Microsoft in Harisal, which is the epicentre ofmalnourishment in Maharashtra. The decision topromote agro-industries, manufacturing andservice sector in Vidarbha is part of the strategy toaddress the crisis in rural Maharashtra.

In Nagpur, Reliance has decided to invest`6,500 crore for setting up an indigenoushelicopter manufacturing unit. This would helpgenerate 20,000 new jobs. CST Tyres has madeinvestment worth `1,200 crore in Nagpur. MIIPLhas got a nod for setting up a chocolatemanufacturing factory in Khed at an investment of`1,005 crore.

The business sectors are also linked to a farmer’sproduce. Since Vidarbha is the biggest cotton-cultivating centre of the nation, the Governmenthas emphasised on textile and spinning mills. The

m farm-to-fashion policy has lead Amravati to becomean international textile hub. At NandgoanpethMIDC, 500 hectares of land has got eight industrieswith an investment of up to ̀ 2,000 crore.

Under the mini-cluster development, micro,small and medium industries have been madeprovisions of `221.52 lakh. Up to 80 per cent of thesubsidies in these projects have been extended inAkola, Amravati and Wardha. The same wouldapply to Osmanabad, Aurangabad, Paithan andJalna of Marathwada.

State’s first mobile social media lab has been setup in Chandrapur. E-chalan facilities have startedin Nagpur rural police station. There is an effort togive Vidarbha a reckoning in the field of education.The Indian Institute of Management set up inNagpur has already started its first batch fromVNIT campus. The Indian Institute of InformationTechnology has got approval for Nagpur and Pune.The Nagpur institute will become operational from2016-17. To avert failing students lose theiracademic year, policy changes in education has beendone. It has enabled 1,07,27 failed students toreappear for tenth class examination.

The State Government has decided to promotetourism aggressively keeping in mind the socio-economic development of villagers in Chandrapurand Gadchiroli. It has decided to promote minesand mineral sector for the development of tribalbelt in Gadchiroli. One-third revenue from theseindustries would be spent on developmentof the tribal region facing the Naxal menace.

A policy decision has been taken to minimisehuman–animal conflicts in wildlife buffer zone,which encompasses almost a third of Vidarbha.About 150 villages would be developed for which`40 crore has been sanctioned for 2015-16. Eco-samities have been set up in 23 villages in theforest areas. Other works include constructing two-lane roads in Gorewada–Katol road project andsecurity walls along all water reservoirs upgradedin the forest. Allocation of `60 crore for promotionof bio-park, African safari and night safari withprivate investment has been done.

Under Tadoba tourism—to promote thereserve that houses maximum number of tigersand wildlife in Vidarbha—there will be more openbuses running between Nagpur and Chandrapur.A buffer zone tourist circuit is being developed. Toprovide livelihood to tribals in Chandrapur andGadchiroli, bamboo cultivation has beenundertaken. To address region’s social problems,after Wardha and Gadchiroli, the Governmenthas imposed ban on liquor in Chandrapur.

The workon the ambitiousNagpur Metroproject inalliance withJETRO hasalready begun.The metrois expected tocomplete in2018. Thereis also an MoUsigned withCISCO todevelop theorange city

TTHHEE KKEEYYFFEEAATTUURREESS� To remove thebacklog of agriculturepumps in Vidarbha andMarathwada, StateGovernment hasallocated `819 crore.� A mega project worth`30,000 crore spreadover 800 km betweenNagpur and Mumbai,Communication SuperExpressway has beenapproved.� The two big cities ofNagpur and Amravatihave been chosenfor the ambitiousSmart Cities project ofthe Union Government.Out of the 100 citieschosen for theprogramme, ten arefrom Maharashtra andtwo from Vidarbha.� The three sanctionedrailway projects ofWadsa–Desaiganj–Gadchiroli,Ahmednagar–Beed–Parli Vaij nath andWardha–Yavatmal–Nanded would bolsterrailway connectivity inVidarbha andMarathwada.� In Nagpur, Relianceplans to invest ̀ 6,500crore for setting up anindigenous helicoptermanufacturing unit.

(

Electrical load shedding is needed due to thelimitations on electricity generation and ever-increasing demand. Lack of required amount ofelectricity for agri pumps results in obstacles inirrigation. Even with water resources available inthe wells, it is a common experience to see loss ofcrop due to lack of power.

With limitations on traditional power gene -ration, adverse effects such as pollution andlimited availability of mineral resources, theState Government has taken a decision to developnon-conventional energy sources such as solar

To ensure that the farmers who solelydepend on agriculture for their survivalare not adversely affected due to lack ofelectrical connections, receive affordable

electricity for their agri pumps and enjoy perennialfreedom from payment of electricity bills, Govern -ment of Maharashtra is implementing a path-breaking project of installing 10,000 solar agripumps under Atal Saur Krishi Pump Yojana. Thescheme is being implemented in six farmers’suicide affected districts of Akola, Amravati,Washim, Buldhana, Yavatmal and Wardha.

D


RENEWABLE ENERGYATAL SAUR KRISHI PUMP YOJANA

(Clockwise from left)Solar agriculture

pumps being installedin Maharashtra

With solar energy being seen as a consistent source of power, it could be a game changerfor States who can make most of it. Maharashtra is on the job, says VViikkaass AAddhhee

FROM SUN TO FARMS

energy. This will make a perennial source ofenergy available in the State. Distribution ofsolar agri pumps to farmers on a grant basis ispart of this initiative.

Under the scheme, the farmers will have to payonly 5 per cent of the amount of solar agri pumps.The supplier agency will be fully responsible formaintenance and repairs of the pump for five yearsfrom installation. These 3, 5 and 7.5 HP agripumps will be installed in agricultural lands offarmers with area of 5 acres or less.

All the farmers in the State who have accruedbenefits of wells under the crash irrigationscheme, those from extremely inaccessible areas,from villages which have not been electrifiedby traditional methods, areas where no objectioncertificate is not available from the ForestDepartment and farmers who have madepayments to Maharashtra State Electricity

E

Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) butcannot be provided connections due to technicaldifficulties will be covered under the new scheme.It is essential that the beneficiary owns the pieceof land where the solar agri pump is to beinstalled and the well has enough water forirrigation. A district-level committee under thechairmanship of District Collector will selectthe beneficiaries.

Under the Atal Saur Krishi Pump Yojana,Akola district has been given the target ofinstalling 1,000 solar agri pumps. The pumps willbe given out by the district-level committee to thefarmers, who do not have power connections. The3 and 5 HP solar agri pumps will be of AC/DCversion and 7.5 HP pumps will be of AC version.Thirty per cent of the cost of the pump will come

from Government ofIndia, 5 per cent fromState Government and5 per cent from thebeneficiary. The rest60 per cent will bea loan to be repaidby the MSEDCL ininstallments.

The MSEDCL hasclarified that theburden of the loan willnot be placed on the7/12 extract of thefarmers. Thus, thefarmers will be freefrom loan burden. Thevendors will be paid 60

per cent on installation and 40 per cent over a five-year period, with this being linked to parameterslike the performance of the sets.

This State Government scheme will providefarmers permanent freedom from load sheddingand electricity bills. They will accrue dual benefits,as they will receive pumps worth lakhs of rupees ina few thousand rupees.

The solar agri pump type, capacity (HP) andamount to be paid for getting the benefits of thescheme are as follows: 3 HP AC pump at `16,000,3 HP DC pump at `20,250, 5 HP AC pump at`27,000, 5 HP DC pump at ̀ 33,750 and 7.5 HP ACpump at ̀ 36,000. The scheme will be implementedon first-come-first-serve basis. The farmers needto contact the nearest MSEDCL office for moreinformation.

—The writer is Public Relations Officer,MSEDCL, Akola Circle


The farmerswill have to payjust 5 per centamount for solaragri pumpsunder thescheme. Thesupplier agencywill be fullyresponsible formaintenanceand repairs ofthe pump forfive years frominstallation

TTHHEE KKEEYY PPOOIINNTTSS� Governmentof Maharashtra isimplementing a path-breaking project ofinstalling 10,000 solaragri pumps in the State. � Distribution of agripumps to farmers on agrant basis is part ofState’s solar mission.� The Centre willcontribute 30 per cent,the State Government5 per cent and the restwill come as a loan tobe repaid by MSEDCLin installments. � The scheme aimsto be a solutionof load shedding andelectricity bills.

S


�� JANUARY 2015

INDIAN SCIENCECONGRESS AT WORKThe 102nd session of ScienceCongress took place from January3 to 7 in Mumbai. It had in atten-dance Nobel laureate, eminentscientists, research scholars anddignitaries like Prime MinisterNarendra Modi and Former Presi-dent of India, Late Dr. A.P.J.Abdul Kalam. During the fiveaction-packed days, the mega citysaw over 12,000 delegates fromall across the globe speaking onvarious subjects under this year’stheme, Science and Technologyfor Human Development.

CYBER CRIMEGovernment of Maharashtraannounced a cyber strategy toaddress cyber crime. The planinvolves setting up an indepen-dent machinery to curb cybercrimes, training police personneland employing latest equipment.

ON THE WATER TRAILThe ambitious and dedicatedwater empowerment scheme,Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan aims toprovide villages with permanent

source of water by 2019. A needof the hour, the programme hasbeen designed to free the Statefrom recurring drought-like situa-tion by utilising water from naturalresources and recharging waterreservoirs with rainwater every

year. The programme is beingimplemented in the drought-affected districts of Maharashtra.

AAPLE SARKARCONNECTING PEOPLE State Government launched AapleSarkar, an interactive portal andmobile application that connectsthe Government with people ofthe State. Monitored by the ChiefMinister’s Office, it is a platform

for citizensto partici-pate in dis-cussions onMaharash-

tra’s development. The portal ispart of Government’s participativegovernance measures with themotto, Minimum Government–Maximum Governance.

PANDHARPUR WARION RAJPATH Maharashtra grabbed attentionof the Nation when its tableauwon the first prize in this year’s Republic Day parade. Themedon Pandharpur Wari, the tableau left the audience dancing and chanting Vitthal, Vitthal.

�� FEBRUARY 2015

FOR A BETTER, TRANSFORMED MUMBAIMumbai Next was the theme ofthe mega conference, Transform-ing MMR that aimed to transformMumbai Metropolitan Region

into a global financial, commer-cial and entertainment hub. TheMaharashtra Governmentlaunched the initiative with apotential to generate a revenueof $50 billion. Maharashtra hashuge areas where it can workupon to kick-start growth.Creation of new ports, industrialcorridors and tourism are someof the key areas of development.

STATE GOVERNMENTCOMPLETES 100 DAYSThe Maharashtra Government setambitious goals upon completionof 100 days in office. Chief Minis-ter Devendra Fadnavis underlinedthat his priority is to fast-trackprojects and assured of action andtransparency. He shared thatChief Minister’s Office will fasttrack all projects and the WarRoom will coordinate betweenagencies and remove bottlenecks.

BEST JOURNALISM AWARDBest Journalism Award and Lok-manya Tilak Lifetime Achieve-ment Award were given for theyear 2011, 2012 and 2013. With

t

YEAR ENDERMAHARASHTRA 2015

THE YEAR OF GLOBAL ACTIONYear 2015 for Maharashtra was a year of achievements not just at home, but internationally. A yearfor development, it saw successful implementation of many programmes such as Jalyukta Shivar Yojana,Make in Maharashtra and Swachh Maharashtra Abhiyan. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis positionedthe State on world’s map through his visits to Switzerland, Germany, USA, China and Japan attractingforeign investments in the State. Approvals for State’s key infrastructure projects such as coastal road,Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway and extension of Mumbai Metro are other noteworthy developments.The purchase of London House where Bharat Ratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar stayed while pursuinghigher studies and success of Simhastha Kumbh Mela at Nashik-Trimbakeshwar are jewels inState’s crown. TTeeaamm MMaahhaarraasshhttrraa AAhheeaadd lists the key events of the year

MAHARASHTRAAT DAVOS Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis attended the WorldEconomic Forum Meeting atDavos from January 24-26,2015 in order to networkwith international businessleaders and investors, and tospeak with them aboutthe new Make In Indiainitiative and the Make InMaharashtra drive that theState aims to embark upon.


�

the felicitation of three senior edi-tors, participation of 45 talentedjournalists and their families, theceremony was an occasion for themedia fraternity to get together.

DEMISE OF R.R. PATILFormer Deputy Chief Minister,Home Ministerof Maharashtraand a creative,people-ori-ented, popularleader, R.R.Patil passedaway on Febru-ary 16 after a long battle with various ailments including cancer.He was 57.

AWARD TO PRABHA ATREVeteran classical vocalist Dr. Prabha Atre was felicitated

with the presti-gious Pt. Bhim-sen JoshiLifetimeAchievementAward 2014.The award,instituted byState Govern-

ment’s Directorate of CulturalAffairs, carries a cash purse of `5lakh, a memento and a citation.

�� MARCH 2015

LAND FOR DR. BABASAHEBAMBEDKAR MEMORIALPrime Minister Narendra Modi

witnessed a tripartite agreementbetween Union Ministry of Tex-tiles, Government of Maharash-tra and National TextileCorporation, for transfer of 12acres of land adjacent toChaityabhoomi at the Indu Millscompound in Mumbai forthe memorial of Bharat RatnaDr. Babasaheb Ambedkar.

GIRGAUMCHOWPATTYTO BERENAMEDSWARAJBHOOMIThe Maharash-tra Governmentdecided to rename Girgaum

Chowpatty beach as SwarajBhoomi as a tribute to freedomfighter Lokmanya Bal GangadharTilak, who was crematedat Girgaum Chowpatty area.

MAZI KANYA BHAGYASHREEWith an aim to prevent femalefoeticide andpromoteeducationamong girls inthe State,Government ofMaharashtralaunchedMazi KanyaBhagyashree on InternationalWomen’s Day, celebrated onMarch 8, in Mumbai.

�� APRIL 2015

PADMA AWARDTO NINE DIGNITARIESOf the total 149 Padma Awardsgiven this year, Maharashtrareceived a total of nine. TwoPadma Vibhushan went to Hindifilm legends, Dilip Kumar andAmitabh Bachchan, one PadmaBhushan to eminent scientist Dr. Vijay Bhatkar, and Padma Shriawards to renowned film directorSanjay Leela Bhansali, musiccomposer Ravindra Jain, lyricistPrasoon Joshi, scientist Dr.Prahlada, vocalist Shekhar Senand to Late Dawoodi Bohraleader Syedna MohammedBurhanuddin (posthumously).The awards were distributed atthe Darbar Hall of RashtrapatiBhawan in New Delhi.

AKHIL BHARATIYA MARATHISAHITYA SAMMELANThe 88th All India MarathiLiterary Conference took place inGhuman, in Gurdaspur, Punjab.Collaborated and celebrated as itsown by the Governments of Punjab and Maharashtra, theconvention endorses the stay andspiritual journey of the 13th cen-tury reformist and Maharashtrianpoet, Sant Namdev in Ghuman700 years ago. The spiritualleader spent two decades in thefields of Punjab, composing hun-dreds of abhangs—praise-poemsto the Lord Vitthal.

A HAND OF SUPPORTThe Government of Maharashtraneeds a pat on the back for hav-ing streamlined the process ofevacuating residents of Maharash-tra stuck in tremor-hit Nepal andbringing them safely back to theirhomeland. The Government suc-cessfully contacted 1,000 touristsfrom Maharashtra and madearrangements to get them back.

NEMADE RECEIVESJNANPITH AWARDEminent Marathi litterateur,novelist, critic, poet, academic, arelentless advocate of the literary

MAIDEN BUDGETOF THE STATE The maiden annualbudget of theMaharashtraGovernment, termed as“daring” by ChiefMinister DevendraFadnavis, laid specialfocus on agricultureand rural development,infrastructure anddecentralised industrialdevelopment. It wasaimed at boosting theState economy and turning it around. The Budgetemphasised on the growth of State economy, agricultureand irrigation. The Budget announced by Minister ofFinance, Sudhir Mungantiwar had an outlay of `7,272crore for water resources development with a resolveto complete 38 irrigation projects. An allocation of`1,000 crore was made for Jalayukta Shivar Abhiyan,`2,400 crore for rural development, and `970 crore forenergisation of agricultural pump sets.

TARAPOREVALA AQUARIUM RENOVATED Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavisinaugurated the renovated Taraporevalaaquarium, which has around 400 species offish, including a few from China, Singaporeand Malaysia. Set up at a cost of `8 lakh in1951 at Charni Road in Mumbai, theaquarium houses about a hundred species offish. The Chief Minister believes that withrenovation and value additions, the aquariumstands to become an iconic landmark fornot just Mumbai, but also India.


movements and leader of thepost-1960s Little Magazine Move-ment, Dr. Bhalchandra Nemade

was conferredthe GoldenJubilee Jnan-pith Award atthe hands ofPrime MinisterNarendraModi. Dr.Nemade, 76,

was honoured with the highest lit-erary award for his immense valu-able literary contribution.

MAHARASHTRABHUSHAN AWARD Balwant Moreshwar Purandare, ahistorian, writer and theatre per-sonality from Maharashtra, wasselected forthe Maharash-tra Bhushanaward. Thehistorian’smajor workshave con-tributed muchto the cult ofMaratha warrior king, ChhatrapatiShivaji Maharaj. The 92-year-oldauthor is known as Shiv Shahirbecause of his bestselling narra-tive Raja Shiva Chattrapati andJanata Raja.

RIGHT TO SERVICES ACTThe Maharashtra Governmentapproved an ordinance for theMaharashtra Guarantee of PublicServices Act, popularly known asRight to Services, to improvetransparency and delivery ofservices to citizens from the Gov-ernment machinery. As per theordinance, about 160 serviceswill be covered under the Act inthe first phase.

A TRIBUTE TO DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKARThe April issue of Lokrajya—dedicated to Bharat RatnaDr. Babasaheb Ambedkar—was

released byMinister forSocial Justice,RajkumarBadole atBharat RatnaDr. Babasa-heb Ambed-kar SamajikSaptah held

at Gateway of India. The issuehad special articles on the princi-pal architect of Constitution ofIndia, his life and contribution

towards transforming India.

�� MAY 2015

MAHARASHTRA TURNS 55On May 1, 1960, the State ofMaharashtra came into existenceand on May 2, 2015 it turned 55.The number one State of thecountry, Maharashtra has seenunprecedented growth in allspheres and across all its regionssince its inception.

CHIEF MINISTER’S CHINA VISITChief Minister Devendra Fadnaviswas part of Prime MinisterNarendra Modi’s delegation toChina. The five-day-long forumsaw discussions on various sub-

jects and agreements signedbetween the Asian nations.Aurangabad, in Maharashtra, andDunhuang signed a sister citiesagreement during the visit.

FIRST ONLINE LOKSHAHI DINThis National Technology Day,

Maharashtra Government con-ducted the first-ever online Lokshahi Din, bringing solutionsclose to people. On the occasion,Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavistried to address the problemsof people from various districtsof the State.

INTEGRATED TEXTILE PARKAT NADGAONPETHInaugurating the textile part atNandgaonpeth in Amravati, ChiefMinister Devendra Fadnavisannounced to open integratedtextile parks in eight cotton-richdistricts of Maharashtra andencourage local private industri-alists with financial assistance.

CENTRE’S SOCIAL SECURITY SCHEMESPrime Minister Narendra Modilaunched three ambitious socialsecurity schemes, relating toinsurance and pension sector andintended at widening the processof financial inclusion. The Prad-han Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana(accident insurance), PradhanMantri Jeevan Jyoti Yojana(life insurance) and Atal PensionYojana were launched byUnion Finance Minister, ArunJaitely in Mumbai.

SAMADHAN SHIBIRAT NAGPUR State’s first Samadhan Shibir wasorganised at Mundle High Schoolin South-West Nagpur. Chief Min-

i

MAHARASHTRA IN HANNOVERTo bolster the association betweenMaharashtra and Germany, theState leadership—Chief Minister DevendraFadnavis and Minister for Industries,Subhash Desai—led a delegation toGermany to attend Hannover Messe,Germany, world’s largest industrial tradefair. The fair was jointly inaugurated byPrime Minister Narendra Modi and GermanChancellor Angela Merkel.

SWACHH MAHARASHTRA MISSIONIn May, Chief Minister administered seven vows to localbody representatives and encouraged natives to make theState clean and green. He administered an oath of sevensteps to cleanliness to all the Mayors, Presidents ofMunicipal Councils and administrative officers. Beginningwith the local-body representatives working at thegrassroots level in Konkan region, Devendra Fadnavisdecided to carry out the exercise in Marathwada, WesternMaharashtra, Vidarbha and north Maharashtra in phases.He also linked the cleanliness drive to the Smart CitiesProject, while encouraging the elected representatives toplan 25 years ahead and set the aim to clean their areas.



ister Devendra Fadnavis calledthe initiative a platform whereboth administration and citizenscome face to face to solve issues.

�� JUNE 2015

NEW IT ANDITeS POLICY LAUNCHEDThe State Government launched anew Information Technology (IT)and Information Technology-enabled Services (ITES) policy,which aims to generate invest-ments in the IT sector to the tuneof `50,000 crore and generateemployment for more than 10lakh people in the State.

MAHA HAS A STATE BUTTERFLYThe beautiful Blue Mormonbecame the official butterfly ofthe State. Maharashtra is home to

225 varieties of butterfliesand accounts for 15 per centof the country’s estimatedbutterfly population.

MARATHI WORD BANKMaharashtra Minister for Cultureand Marathi Language VinodTawde released the 20thvolume of Marathi Vishwakosh(encyclopedia) in Mumbai.

�� JULY 2015

SIMHASTHA KUMBHIN NASHIK–TRIMBAKESHWARThe twin temple cities of Nashikand Trimbak reverberated withchants and prayers of thousands ofsadhus, who took a holy dip inriver Godavari on the occasion ofSimhastha Kumbh Mela. The Melawas inaugurated by Chief MinisterDevendra Fadnavis, who hoistedthe holy flag in Nashik amid thesounds of conch shells, recitationof hymns and flowers showeredfrom a helicopter. The scene was

equally enchanting at Trimbakesh-war, with the crowd celebratingthe hoisting of the holy flag,Dharma Dhwaja, at KushavartaTeerth. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh launched the congregation at Trimbakeshwar.

MAHARASHTRA MEETS THE UNITED STATESChief Minister Devendra Fadnavispromoted Maharashtra as aninvestment destination and vari-ous initiatives taken by the StateGovernment for ease of doing

business at a meeting withUS-India Business Council in NewYork. He successfully projectedthe State as a powerhouse and agreat investment destination ofIndia. The State managed tosecure investments worth`8,000 crore that would generate70,000 jobs in the State.

SMART CITIES MISSIONTen cities of Maharashtra wereshortlisted under Union Govern-ment’s Smart Cities Mission. The

focus of theprogrammeis sustain-able andinclusivedevelop-ment. Thecities from

the State are Mumbai, NaviMumbai, Pune–Pimpri–Chinch-wad, Amravati, Solapur, Nagpur,Kalyan–Dombivali, Aurangabad,Nashik and Thane.

IIM NAGPUR A REALITY First of the six new Indian Insti-tutes of Management (IIMs) thatPrime Minister Narendra Modiproposed last year was inaugu-rated by Chief Minister DevendraFadnavis in Nagpur. It is theState’s first IIM and is being mentored by IIM Ahmedabad.

DEMISE OF DR.A.P.J. ABDUL KALAMFormer President of India, avisionary, a renowned scientist

and BharatRatna, Dr.A.P.J. AbdulKalam left forheavenlyabode on July27 in Shillongafter sufferinga cardiac

arrest. The Maharashtra Legisla-tive Assembly paid rich tributes tothe former President.

MUMBAI–NAGPUR EXPRESSWAYThe Maharashtra Governmentannounced an ambitious Com-munication Super Expressway

COASTAL ROADPROJECT Mumbai’s coastal roadproject, expected totransform the city, gota green signal from theCentre, following ChiefMinister DevendraFadnavis’ meeting withUnion Minister of Statefor Environment andClimate Change,Prakash Javadekar inNew Delhi. A one-of-its-kind infrastructureproject, it aims todecongest city’s trafficand create 91 hectaresof green spaces.

INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY

Maharashtra joined the world in celebrating the firstInternational Yoga Day. The United Nations declaredJune 21 to be observed as the day of yoga. The day sawnations across the globe stretching together for a goodreason. The State observed the day with hundreds ofevents where people took part with zest.

Y


mega project between Mumbaiand Nagpur worth `30,000crore. It would connect all thethree backward regions ofVidarbha, Marathwada andNorth Maharashtra.

�� AUGUST 2015

MAHARASHTRA BHUSHANThe Maharashtra Governmentbestowed Maharashtra Bhushan,the State’s highest honour, oneminent historian, writer and theatre personality, BabasahebPurandare by Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao in Mumbai.

METRO POWER TO MUMBAI The Government took a decisionin the 138th annual meeting ofMMRDA to sanction ̀ 35,400crore for 118-km expansion ofMetro network in Mumbai. Thismetro network will includeDahisar–Charkop–Bandra–Mankhurd Metro-2 corridor

(`12,000 crore and 40 km),Wadala–Ghatkopar–Thane–Kasar-vadavali Metro-4 via Wadala GPOand R.A.Kidwai Marg (`12,000crore and 40 km), Dahisar-E-And-heri-E-Bandra-E Metro-5 corridor(`8,100 crore and 27 km)and Jogeshwari–Vikhroli LinkRoad Metro-6 corridor (`3,300crore and 11 km).

LBT PARTIALLY ABOLISHEDThe State Government abolishedLocal Body Tax (LBT) partially. TheUrban Development Department

informed that from August 1,2015, it would apply only tothose dealers whose turnoverwould exceed ̀ 50 crore in a year.

JUSTICE M.L. TAHALIYANIBECOMES MAHA LOKAYUKTAJustice Madanlal LaxmandasTahaliyani, retired Judge of theBombay High Court, sworn in as the new Lokayukta of Maharashtra.

LONDON MEMORIALThe primary agreement of pur-chase of the London house, whereDr. Babasaheb Ambedkar stayedduring his studies is completed.The deed of exchange by the StateGovernment was completed withthe owner, Douglas Millie. TheLondon administration gave heritage status to the house.

TENDULKAR, THE AMBASSADORCricket icon Bharat Ratna SachinTendulkar will now bat to protectMaharashtra’s lush green forests.In a letter to MaharashtraFinance and Forests Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, he agreedto become the ambassador toprotect forests of Maharashtra.

FOOD SECURITY SCHEMEFOR FARMERS Since August 15, Maharashtra hasbeen providing foodgrains to thefarmers of 14 drought-affecteddistricts under National FoodSecurity Scheme. To ensure thatthe producer of food for theentire world does not starve,Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavistook this important decision.

�� SEPTEMBER 2015

SANCTION FOR KOYNA–MUM-BAI WATER LINKING PROJECT The sixth meeting of SpecialCommittee for Interlinking ofRivers held in New Delhi gave anin-principle sanction for makinga detailed project report ofKoyna–Mumbai water-linkingproject. The meeting of interlink-ing of rivers was organised byUnion Ministry of WaterResources at Vigyan Bhawan,New Delhi and chaired byUma Bharati, Union Minister forWater Resources.

SECOND ANDTHIRD SHAHI SNANSecond and third shahi snan ofSimhastha Kumbh Mela tookplace at Nashik and Trimbakesh-war. Thousands of seers, mahantsand sadhus belonging to tenakhadas took a dip in holy riverGodavari on the occasion.

MELGHAT CHOSEN FOR SMARTVILLAGE PILOT PROJECTA pilot project of Smart Villagewill be taken up in Harisal inMelghat, which will be digitallyconnected to improve health-care. Technology can helperadicate malnutrition and buildnetwork and connectivity toprovide better healthcare.

WORLD TIGER DAY On July 29, the day celebrated as World TigerDay, the State Government appealedto people of Maharashtra to come togetherfor protection and conservation of forests andtiger. An exhibition on tiger was organisedin Mumbai Mantralaya on August 4. TheTiger Protection Foundation had approvedthe appointment of actor Amitabh Bachchanas State’s Ambassador for tiger conservation.

FIRST SHAHI SNANThe first Shahi Snan of Simhastha Kumbh Mela atNashik–Trimbakeshwar took place on August 29. Lakhs ofdevotees, including mahants of various akhadas, throngedthe banks of Godavari for the holy dip. On the day ofShahi Snan, the royal processions of the three akhadas ofthe Vaishnava sect with mahants and mahamandleshwarsatop vehicles, and flower-bedecked horses and camels,began from Laxminarayan Temple in Tapovan and reachedRamkund. At Trimbakeshwar, thousands of sadhus andmahants took royal bath at Kushavarta Teerth.



LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENTTO PRABHAKAR JOGIndian violinist and musiccomposer Prabhakar Jog was

felicitated withLata Mangesh -kar Award forLifetimeAchievement2015, for hiscontribution tomusic. The

award is a national-level awardinstituted to honour works in thefield of music.

AMRUT SCHEMEGovernment of Maharashtradecides to implement Atal Mis-sion for Rejuvenation and UrbanTransformation (AMRUT) andshortlists 43 cities for the same.Prime Minister Narendra Modi’sambitious project has provisionsto upgrade 500 cities/townsbetween 2015 and 2019.

�� OCTOBER 2015

A BIKE RALLY FOR THE TIGERSVeteran actor Amitabh Bachchanand Finance Minister Sudhir

Mungantiwar flagged off a bikerally, covering four out of the sixtiger reserves in the State, organ-ised to support Government’sSave Tiger programme. Theseven-day rally passed throughMelghat, Pench, Navegaon–Nagzira and Tadoba–AndhariTiger Reserves, with the bikerscoming from the corporate sector.

SANITATION MILESTONES Following the launch of SwachhBharat Abhiyan on the birthanniversary of Mahatma Gandhiin 2014, the State Governmentlaunched Swachh MaharashtraAbhiyan. The programme is beingeffectively implemented withprovision of toilet facilities to all.In its first year, around 20 cities

achieved freedom from opendefecation and had solid wastemanagement in place.

�� NOVEMBER 2015

ATAL SAUR KRISHIPUMP YOJANA Under the scheme, 10,000 solar-powered water pumps will be dis-tributed to five lakh farmers in theState in the first phase. The Gov-ernment plans to empower agriculture with solar power.

DR. AMBEDKAR’S LONDON HOUSEPrime Minister Narendra Modiand Chief Minister Devendra

Fadnavis inaugurated BharatRatna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’shouse in London during hisstudy. The Government hasdecided to transform the houseinto an international memorial-cum-research centre.

ACCIDENT INSURANCE SCHEMEFOR FARMERSThe Government of Maharashtralaunches Gopinath MundeAccident Insurance Scheme forfarmers in the State. The scheme,to be implemented from2015-16, aims to provide socialand economic security tofarmers and their families.

MEMORIAL FOR BALASAHEBA grand memorial of LateBalasahebThackeray, ShivSena Chief, willcome up at theMayor’sbungalow atShivaji Park,announcedChief MinisterDevendra Fadnavis on thethird death anniversary of theState leader.

�� DECEMBER 2015JOURNALISM AWARDS 2014Lokmanya Tilak Lifetime Achieve-ment Award for 2014 went torenowned columnist Padma ShriMuzaffar Hussain. The functionhosted by Directorate General ofInformation and Public Relationsawarded best performing jounal-ists at State and Division level. Anew award for journalists workingtowards spreading awareness onSwachh Maharashtra Abhiyan wasannounced on the occasion.

NATURE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT BOARDThe State plans to set up Maharashtra Nature TourismDevelopment Board to boosttourism in its 48 sanctuaries, sixnational parks and four reservedconservation areas. The board willbe headquartered at Nagpur.

CHIEF MINISTER VISITS JAPANDuring the four-day visit to Japan, Chief MinisterDevendra Fadnavis was able to effectively projectMaha rashtra’s pre-eminence in attracting domestic andforeign direct investments to Japanese investors.In a bid to kick start Japanese investments, the StateGovernment announced to have a one-stop shop tomonitor all of its upcoming projects.

CONSTITUTION DAY Maharashtra celebratedthe Constitution Day onNovember 26. ChiefMinister DevendraFadnavis led over 1.25lakh school children torecite the Preamble ofthe Constitution ofIndia at a massrecitation programmeorganised by Ministryof Social Justiceat Yashwant Stadiumin Nagpur.

Department have become aggressive. This Maha -rashtra Industrial Development Corporation(MIDC) initiated project will be a boon forinvestors, as they will have benefits of 10 per centcapital subsidy and up to seven per cent subsidy. Ithas seven-star facilities, including a commoneffluent treatment plant (CETP), and benefitssuch as an industrial promotion subsidy andstamp duty and electricity duty exemptionincentives by the Industries Department.

The projects, which will be undertaken throughpublic–private partnerships, are aimed at creatinga textile township, which would have provisionsfor multiple activities—from processing tomarketing—within the hub. According to Ministerfor Industries Subhash Desai, eight prominentindustries have already started setting up theirunits in the Nandgaonpeth MIDC, which is bound

Cotton has been regarded as amongst thetop in the family of fibres, either naturalor manmade, and is popularly known asthe King of Fibres. In India, Maharashtra

takes the lead in cotton cultivation. Vidarbha, whichaccounts for more than 35 to 40 per cent of thecotton cultivated in the country, has been facingthe problem of lack of industries that could supportcotton cultivators, unfortunately, resulting innumerous cases of suicide. But, the major crop ofMaharashtra is finally getting its due.

With the recent inauguration of a mega textilepark at Nandgaonpeth in Amravati—a majorcotton-producing district—by Chief MinisterDevendra Fadnavis, the State Government plansto make the location India’s one-stop textiledestination for investors. Led by the vision, theMaharashtra Textile Department and Industries

t


INDUSTRYNANDGAONPETH

(Clockwise from left) ChiefMinister Devendra

Fadnavis and Minister forIndustries Subhash Desai at

Nandgaonpeth, womencarrying cotton, a

spinning mill and cottonplants in full bloom

With the mega textile park, the State Government plans to make Nandgaonpeth India’sone-stop textile destination for investors, says CChhaannddrraagguuppttaa AAmmrriittkkaarr

DRIVEN BY MILL POWER

to help local farmers get good price for theiragriculture produce. These eight textile units, withan investment of `1,243 crore, will provide directemployment to 3,700 people.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has saidthat his Government gives special priority toproviding irrigation facilities and setting upcotton-processing units in the region. “JalyuktaShivar Yojana is a part of this endeavour. It isessential to create decentralised water storagesand complete well-digging works. Unlessirrigation facilities are created, a farmer’s life willnot improve,” he said.

In another move that may give the much-needed push to Vidarbha’s cotton economy, foursick textile units—three from Mumbai and onefrom Solapur—will be shifted to Nandgaonpethtextile zone in Amravati. Devendra Fadnavis plansto shift nine more such sick units controlled byNational Textile Corporation (NTC) to Vidarbha so

D

that the cotton grown in the region is processed inthe region only and not shipped out. As per theChief Minister, no textile mill will be allowed toclose down; instead, it would be revived throughrelocation of the unit and its employees.

MORE TEXTILE PARKSGovernment of Maharashtra has announced to setup textile parks in eight districts of the State.Beginning with Nandgaonpeth MIDC, similarparks will be set up at Yavatmal, Parbhani,Buldhana, Nanded, Beed, Jalna and Auranga bad.The cities have been selected on the basis of cottonproduction in last five years.

The State Government has also decided toprovide financial aid to self-financing textile unitsto inspire them. It has been decided to set upintegrated textile parks, wherein facilities such aselectricity, roads, water, CETP, skill developmenttraining and processing will be provided.

In the long run, the Government plans tolaunch 50 more textile parks all over Maha -rashtra. A new textile policy is in the pipelinewhere there will be more and more incentives forthe sector. Plans are afoot to revitalise the oldspinning mills. The Government plans to set up aspeciality textile park to promote organic cottoncultivation in the State. A first-of-its-kind projectin the country, the project follows Government’scommitment to promote eco-friendly textileproducts. In the next five years, the Governmentforesees Maharashtra to become the textile hubof India.


Eight prominentindustries havealready startedsetting up theirunits in theNandgaonpethMIDC, which isbound to help localfarmers get goodprice for theiragricultureproduce. Theseeight textile unitswill be ableto provide directemploymentto 3,700 people.—Subhash DesaiMinister for Industries

complex. The GoM then formed a special purposevehicle named Maharashtra Airport DevelopmentCompany (MADC) to act as a nodal agency forsetting up MIHAN-SEZ. It was expected that whencomplete, the MIHAN-SEZ would bring ininvestment of close to $500 million and providejobs to over three lakh persons in the region.

The unique feature of MIHAN-SEZ is that it isjust adjacent to the city of Nagpur, which is thegeological centre of the country with air, rail androad access to all four corners of India. The entireproject is spread over 4,200 hectares of land nearthe old Nagpur airport, which has an area of 1,300hectares. Thus the total area covered by MIHAN-SEZ is about 5,500 hectares. Of these 2,100hectares is dedicated to the SEZ.

The MADC has set up an excellent infra -structure consisting of a 240 MW captive power

The Multimodal International HubAirport at Nagpur (MIHAN) togetherwith a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) isthe most ambitious project, which can

transform the economy of Vidarbha. The projectwas initially planned in the year 2000 byGovernment of Maharashtra. The idea was to setup an international airport at Nagpur, whichcould handle passenger as well as cargo traffic andserve as a trans-shipment hub between MiddleEast and Hong Kong.

The concept had its genesis in the fact that asmany as 400 international flights overfly Nagpurevery day, and if MIHAN could attract half of them,it would provide a big boost to the aviation industryin Central India and revolutionise the economy ofVidarbha. The idea was later supported by UnionGovernment by adding an SEZ to the MIHAN

l


(Clockwise from below)Multimodal (three modesof transport) MIHAN SEZ,Central Facility Building ofMADC for MIHAN project

and bus stop and sideelevation view of Central

Facility Building

With new investment to flow in, Infosys starting work on its project and TCS, Air India ventureson, MIHAN-SEZ is set to establish Nagpur on world’s map, says SSooppaann PPaannddhhaarriippaannddee

THE PRIDE OF VIDARBHA

PROJECTMIHAN

T

RAILWAY-HOWRAH MUMBAI ROUTE

ROADWAY-NATIONAL HIGHWAY NO.7

A

plant for interrupted electricity supply, watertreatment plant for clean drinking water, captivebroadband network for faster Internet connectivityand a network of well-paved, four-lane roads thatstretch up to nearly 65 km. The MADC has alsocommissioned Container Corporation of India(CONCOR) for developing a full-fledged rail androad network and half a dozen property developersto build townships in MIHAN-SEZ for taking care ofthe housing needs of the people working in thecomplex. India has nearly 600 SEZs, but nowherethe world-class infrastructure amenities likeMIHAN-SEZ are available. That makes MIHAN-SEZ number one SEZ in the country.

Attracted by the world-class infrastructure, asmany as 70 companies have acquired land in theMIHAN-SEZ. IT majors like TCS, Infosys, TechMahindra, DLF and Cassandras have acquired

c

land here. Aviation major Boeing Inc has also setup a maintenance, repairs and overhaul (MRO)facility for aircraft in the MIHAN-SEZ. Of thesecompanies, TCS and Boeing have already beguntheir operations, while Infosys and Tech Mahindrahave started civil construction of their projects. Asmany as eight small companies have startedcommercial operations and close to 2,000 peopleare employed at MIHAN-SEZ.

However, compared to initial estimates, theprogress of MIHAN-SEZ has been sluggish. Themajor reasons of this have been that MADC officeis situated far away in Mumbai and for every pettydecision entrepreneurs are required to visitMumbai. Coupled with this, bureaucratic hurdlesposed by complex rules have proved to be a majordampener for progress of the project.

Last year, the State got a young, dynamic andvisionary Chief Minister in Devendra Fadnavis whodecided to usher in changes to attract investmentsin the State. His first move was to cut down thenumber of clearances required for setting upindustrial units. In past, as many as 76 clearanceswere required for setting up an industrial unit.Many of them were unnecessary and some hadbecome redundant. Devendra Fadnavis did awaywith all these clearances and brought the numberdown to 26, providing ease of doing business.

The second step the Chief Minister took was todelegate powers to local officers to take decisions inlocal issues, sparing the head office of MADC formajor decisions only. Thus entrepreneurs no longerare required to visit Mumbai for petty decisions, asthey are resolved at Nagpur itself.

The third initiative was the forcefulmarketing of the MIHAN-SEZ wherever theChief Minister went. As a member of PrimeMinister’s delegation to industrially developedcountries, Devendra Fadnavis promotedMaharashtra, its manu facturing potential andtrade belts in countries such as USA, Japan, theUK and China. The net effect of this marketingwas that MIHAN-SEZ had started looking upand several new companies have decided to set uptheir units here. The most prominent amongthem is Anil Ambani’s ADAG Group, which haslined up $1 billion (`6,500 crore) investment indefence production ventures in the MIHAN-SEZ.The company is planning to manufacturehelicopters and aircraft for military and civil use.Chinese contract production major, Foxconn hasalso committed to invest $5 billion in Maha -rashtra and efforts are on to divert major portionof this investment to the MIHAN-SEZ.


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TTHHEE KKEEYYFFEEAATTUURREESS� MIHAN-SEZ is justadjacent to Nagpurcity, which is thegeological centre of thecountry with air, railand road access to allfour corners of India. � The total areacovered by MIHAN-SEZis about 5,500 hectares.Of these 2,100 hectaresis dedicated to the SEZ.� Eight companies havestarted commercialoperations, and nearly2,000 people are emp-loyed at MIHAN-SEZ. � Anil Ambani’s ADAGGroup has lined up $1 billion (`6,500 crore)investment in defenceproduction ventures inthe MIHAN-SEZ.� Aviation major BoeingInc has also set up amaintenance, repairsand overhaul (MRO)facility for aircraft inthe MIHAN-SEZ. Ofthese companies, TCSand Boeing havealready begun theiroperations, whileInfosys and TechMahindra have startedcivil construction oftheir projects.

MADC hascommissionedCONCOR fordeveloping afull-fledged railand roadnetwork andhalf a dozenpropertydevelopers tobuild townshipsin MIHAN-SEZfor taking careof the housingneeds of thepeople workingin the complex

AIRWAY-NAGPUR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Located on the north-east part of Maharashtra,Vidarbha is close to Satpura hill range. The rangeconnects and divides the two States of Maharashtraand Madhya Pradesh and is home for Bhilla and Gond

communities. The hill range is in the northern region ofVidarbha, with Melghat forest, near Amaravati, at the southernend. Geographically divided into two parts, Eastern andWestern Vidarbha, the region boasts of two different types offorts, land and hill forts. Ambagad, Tipagad, Bhivgad,Pratapgad, Manikgad, Surjagad, Rajoli, Mahurgad, Gawilgad,Narnala and Devgad are Vidarbha’s eminent hill forts, whileUmred, Nagardhan, Balapur, Aamner, Deolapar, Pawani andBallarpur are the land forts seen here.

Devgad is the oldest fort built by Gond dynasty. The fortwas a capital of the dynasty in medieval period. The prosperity

of Gond kings can be estimated by the magnificent constructionof this fort. Structures such as gateways, bastions, palaces,religious structures and nagarkhana (music gallery) proudlystand inside the fort to date. These structures were built withstones and bricks, with lime as a cementing material.

Nagpur is the central place of Vidarbha and assumed to beits capital. Remains of a big land fort can still be seen in themilitary area at Nagpur near Sitabardi. These remainsunderline the struggle and achievements of NagpurkarBhosale. In 19th century, Mudhoji Bhosale (II), a descendantof Nagpurkar Bhosale, constructed a land fort at Sitabardi.Forty six bastions and eight gateways were built at the fort,with names given to each and every gateway. British officerBlackers prepared a map of the fort at the time of the attackon the fort in 1818. To date, the area of the fort can beidentified only with the help of this map. The map showedmany structures—old palace, new palace, citadel and well,among others—most of which were demolished duringNagpur’s urbanisation at Nagpur.

Vairagad, Surajagad, Rajoli and Tipagad are theimportant forts located in Chandrapur and Gadchirolidistricts in Vidarbha. With thick forest and Naxalite areaaround, it is not possible for one to visit the forts easily.Chandrapur, Ballarshah and Chandankheda are fortifiedcities, with Surajagad and Rajoli forts situated on themountain. The zenith of the Surajagad fort is almost flat and


Vidarbha is known for its historical landand hill forts. DDrr.. SSaacchhiinn VV.. JJoosshhii writes ontheir history and architecture

HERITAGEFORTS

EXPLORING THEUNEXPLORED

has a temple of local God, Thakurdev. According to localhistorians, Surajagad was constructed by a warrior, SurjanBalavayak. The ruins of its structures such as fortificationwall, gateways, religious structures and residential complexesare covered with thick forest today.

Tipagad is an important fort located 80 km away fromGadchiroli, surrounded by small hills. Its name comes fromGond language and means island. Gond king Puramshaharuled it in 15th century. He captured the region aroundChhattisgarh and constructed water tanks on the fort. Gondking, Karnshaha annexed the fort in 16th century.

Another historically important land fort in the region isPawani. During an excavation by Department of Archaeology,evidences of early historic settlement and many antiquitiessuch as shell bangles, beads and coins were recovered from thesite. Pawani was also fortified in medieval period withbastions and gateways. Its main gateway is still in goodcondition and decorated with sculptures. The fort issurrounded by a moat filled with water. Today, its internalarea is occupied by modern settlement.

Gawilgad and Narnala are two important hill forts locatedin the dense forest of Vidarbha. Their maximum height from

the base is about 450 m. Narnala fort is located near Akot andits base village is Shahanur. Two gateways were constructedto enter the fort. The climb starts from Shahanur and aftercrossing the five gateways, one can enter the fort. Everygateway of the fort has a name, such as Shahanur Darwaja,Mendha Darwaja and Mahakali Darwaja. Four water tanks

are located on the top of the fort.Sakkar talav is the largest tankhere. The most interesting featureof the fort is Naugaji Tof, a hugecannon made from forge-weldingtechnique in medieval period.According to historical text,Gulshane Ibrahimi, the fort wasconstructed in Bahamani period. The twin forts of Gawilgad andNarnala were built in Satpura todefend the kingdom against theenemy coming from north.Situated at a height of about

500 m, Gawilgad is located near Chikhaldara and was built byBahamani king Ahmedshah in early 15th century. Five stronggateways can still be seen on the fort, decorated withsculptures such as elephant and lion.

—The writer is a Researcher at Department of Archaeology,Deccan College Post Graduate and Research Institute, Pune


The topmostportion ofSurajagad Fort isnearly flat and atemple of localgod Thakurdev isseen on thepleateau. It wasbuilt by a warriornamed SurjanBalavayak

(Clockwise from below) A view of the Gavilgad Fort at Chikhaldara; AsadgarhFort or Akola Fort, Ramtek Fort, Achalpur Fort and Narnala Fort are all a partand parcel of the various land and hill forts in the Vidarbha region ofMaharashtra built by the Gonds, Bahamani rulers and Nagpurkar Bhosle

of the bamboo is planted, new shoots grow everyyear. After coming out of the soil, the bamboo shootreaches its natural height within just three months.For example, if a Golden bamboo tree is more than15 years old, a new shoot will reach its naturalheight of 30 feet/360 inches within 90 days.

The bamboo species that is seen growing on thebanks of rivers and streams—known as Katang inVidarbha and Kala in Western Maharashtra—isthorny and grows up to 100 feet within 100 days. Thehardness, strength and breaking point of thisbamboo is equal to mild steel. Once a tree is cut, thewhole story ends. However, this does not happen forbamboo, as the species creates 10-20 new bamboosevery year for 40-50 years; hence, it is a regenerativeforest wealth. Bamboo can be produced either fromshoot or seed. However, the species needs around 40-100 years for flowering and seeding.

A STUNNING SIGHTAlthough bamboo blossoming filled with flowers isa stunning sight, it is also the death for the plant.However, before dying, the plant leavesinnumerable number of seeds to generate bambooplants. Sometimes in the jungles, the whole plot ofland with bamboos is seen flowering, which meansdeath in case of gregarious flowering. However,these bamboo species resorting to communitysuicide also leave behind millions of seeds. As theevent happens just a few times in a century, theseeds of bamboo are rarely available. The othermethod is to replant the shoots during rainy season.However, most of the time, the shoots are hurt whiletaking out and re-plantation becomes unsuccessful.

The third method is grafting a part of bambooplant in a trench and watering it constantly.

To provide perennial water for drinking andirrigation, Government of Maharashtra hasbeen implementing Jalyukta Shivar Yojanaon a huge scale. The programme aims at

storing rainwater and absorbing the same in the soil toimprove the groundwater level. The flagship schemeinvolves digging agricultural lakes, de-sedimentationof rivers, lakes, nallahs and streams and wideningand deepening them, and constructing mud-barrages for the streams. Since the fertile soiloften gets eroded due to floods and rains, thescheme controls erosion though cement dams.Considering these dams are expensive and not eco-friendly, it is advisable to construct mud-damsalong water reservoirs.

An effective remedial measure, thus, isplanting trees. Bamboo by far is the best among alltrees when it comes to controlling soil erosion.Three species of bamboo are well known to hold thesoil. Gray bamboo, also known as Henon, is one ofthese. The other is Sasa bamboo, which covers thesoil with its leaves. Both are not available in theState. While Maharashtra also lacks the thirdspecies, Golden bamboo, due to its stunningbeauty, the species is now widely planted in theState. Golden bamboo holds the soil with its thornyand horn-shaped roots and sub roots. PlantingGolden bamboo on the periphery of waterreservoirs can be extremely beneficial. Once theplantation is done, it continues to grow from 6-7years to 40-50 years, and produces 10-15 bambooevery year on an average. The produce canenhance the income of farmers, as the crop isavailable to them.

KNOW THE GRASSAround 125 years ago, botanists D. Bandris, R. S.Trup and J. S. Gamble conducted a detailedresearch on all the tree species under British ruleand wrote a huge volume on bamboo. The book hasdetails of 74 sub-species of bamboo from India.According to them, bamboo is a type of grass withheight ranging from 4-6 inches to 130 feet. Mostimportantly, a lone plant rises from a shoot to treeand reaches its height in 40-50 years when is readyfor cutting. Bamboo is not like this. Once the shoot


JALYUKTA SHIVARGOLDEN BAMBOO

THE GOLDEN BAMBOOTo make Jalyukta Shivar Yojana further successful,golden bamboo can be used to avoid water gettingcarried away and erosion, says AArruunn PPaattaannkkaarr

A UNIQUE PLANT� The nomenclature ofbamboo is alsointeresting. BambusaNigra means blackbamboo. The namecomes from the Latinword nigra for black.The species where theparts are lesser indiameter above andlarger in diameterbelow are calledBuddha’s belly bamboo.

� Bamboo is a type ofgrass with heightranging from 4-6inches to 130 feet. Oncethe shoot of thebamboo is planted, newshoots grow every year.Its shoot reachesnatural height withinjust three months.

� A regenerative forestwealth, the plantcreates 10-20 newbamboos every yearfor 40-50 years. it canbe produced eitherfrom shoot or seed.

� Golden bamboografting is hugelysuccessful and can beplanted on a largerarea. It is the most aptfor social, urban andindividual forestry


Commonly, very few of the species can be graftedin this fashion. Golden bamboo grafting is hugelysuccessful and, therefore, it is possible to plantthe same on a larger area. Golden bamboo is,thus, most appropriate for social, urban andindividual forestry.

BENEFITS OF BAMBOOBamboo has many uses. Even today, there is anoption for scaffolds for construction and repair ofhigh-rise buildings. The pandals of Durga Poojaand Ganesh Festival also use bamboo. The wondergrass is used to make makeshift boats for helpingpeople during floods. Some boats use bamboomasts. It is also used for creating window screens.Burud community still makes use of the plant for

making containers. Bamboo is used to make thewalking stick and musical instrument flute.

In far-east countries of Japan, China, Vietnam,Cambodia, Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan and others,bamboo happens to be an important part of thesocial life. The earthquake-prone areas havehouses made of bamboo. Rural areas in Assam,Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Tripura andothers also have bamboo huts. The beautifulanimal, panda’s daily diet consists of leaves andshoots of bamboos. The bamboo pulp is the mainsource for making paper. The tender shoots of theplant are edible and used in soups and othereatables. Manipur produces aphrodisiac liquidsfrom bamboo shoots. The hard eye between theparts of the bamboo plant, known as VanshLochan, is a known Ayurvedic medicine.

—The writer is a retired IAS Officer

(Clockwise from top)Bamboo plantation,the plant being used invarious household itemsand as an object thatbrings in luck

Bamboohas many uses.From homes inearthquake-proneareas to scaffoldsfor constructinghigh-risebuildings, cuisineand lifestylegoods such asfurniture,it can be seeneverywhere

CULTURE CURRYKHADI GAMMAT

Dandhar and Khadi Gammat are primepresentations in ancient folk art fromMaharashtra. A heritage of Vidarbha,the latter is an independent folk

dramatic form that has been entertaining andenlightening people from time immemorial.According to linguist and critic, Dr. HarichandraBorkar, Dandhar and Khadi Gammat have parallelsand both are presented by masses. He cites a newtheory that suggests that Dandhar was the primefolk drama in 12th century and was initially calledKhari Gammat and later Khadi Gammat. InWestern Maharashtra, under the Muslim rule,Khadi Gammat came to be known as tamasha. Thismight have happened before 700 years.

Khadi Gammat has its individual characteris -tics. The ballad writer or shahir pens dialogues andsongs that capture emotions of people. The dialogueson contradiction in social transaction, conversationwith pun, manifestation of mystic, deep and spiritualmetaphors and instances from rural public life makethe form culturally enriched and conscience based.Dramatic expressions of Radha, Gopika1, Krishna,

Mavashi2 and Songadya3 have breathed new life inthe folk theatre. Sutradhar4, nachya5, gamtya6,dholkya7 and chonkya8 are other importantconstituents of the art form.

CHARACTERS OF KHADI GAMMATThe shahir is a poet and an actor in a KhadiGammat presentation. He is the one who isfamiliar with legends, myths, historical events andday-to-day happenings and has a grip onRamayan, Mahabharat, folk literature and saintliterature. Co-shahir is an associate of shahir andis there to continue the performance that shahirhas left incomplete, increase the pitch of shahir’svoice and give a break to his senior in aperformance, by singing. Kashewar bhau Vishva -nath, Kishor bhau Rajendra, Deorao bhau Vitthal,Vaman bhau Natthu, Sakharam bhau Namdeoare eminent pairs of shahir brothers.

Gamtya is the one who brings in humour. Hewears a short dhoti and is an affable character.Spectators connect with him. When gaulan9 begins,gamtya transforms into Mavashi for a brief time.


The folk theatre form of Khadi Gammat is both entertaining and enlightening. The balladshowcases people’s stories while delivering a social message, says DDrr.. PPrraammoodd MMuunngghhaattee

A BALLAD OF THE HINTERLAND

(From left) The artistsperforming the folk theatreform of Khadi Gammat inMaharashtra

The balladwriter or shahirpens dialoguesand songs thatcapture variedemotions suchas aspiration,anger, greed anddesire. Itspeople-orientedcreativity andindigenousmusicalinstrumentsmake it differentfrom others

specialties. It is also called chaundak and is madeof a hollow cylindrical wooden box whose upperend is open. At the base of box, sheep’s skin ormonitor lizard’s skin is used as a cover. From thebase, two to two-and-half feet bamboo stalk isfixed. A string from the base is tied to a peg onbamboo’s stalk at upper end. This string can betighten or loosen to tune dholki.

In Marathi culture, as in other folk forms such asbhajan and kirtan, tal has a significant place in folkdramatic forms like tamasha and Khadi Gammat.Tal is the core indigenous musical instrument.Cymbal or Jhanj is comparatively bigger in sizethan tal or manjira, and both are made of brass.Clarinet is the modern form of sarangi, a stringedinstrument. In the initial phase, clarinet was used inTukadoji Maharaj’s bhajan, but later became part ofKhadi Gammat.

THE MESSAGEThe presentation of Khadi Gammat has two majordivisions—exposition and denouncement. Inexposition, gan, gaulan and prayer are presented,and in denouncement, batavani, lavni13, powada14

and wag15 or narrative from history legend areshowcased. In the new form, Khadi Gammat ispresented with narratives to highlight varioussocial problems and Government schemes.

Khadi Gammat concludes with the prayer to thesun. From this standpoint, it has link with Vedicpractice of salutation to the sun. In Bhandara andGondia, there are perfor mances of Khadi Gammaton wider scale, and in them, the folk artists fromdifferent castes, keeping aside their differences,come together to perform. The Government hasgiven an impetus to Khadi Gammat to enlightenmasses in the context of social issues. For survivalof Khadi Gammat or any other folk art form, it isimportant that the new generation connectswith it and is made conscious of indigenouscultural heritage.

She covers her head with the saree and makes funof herself. Gamtya does not rely only on verbalhumour, but also make use of gestures. He alsoperforms the role of king’s friend with humour.

The female character, nachya has received widepopularity in Khadi Gammat. He is a fair-lookingmale actor, dressed in nine yard attire, and someonewho can express feminine emotions and feelings.Dolkya is the character who plays drum, theindigenous musical instrument. He responds toshahir’s words, gamtya’s jump and nachya’sperformance. Chonkya is the tuntune player.Talkari with cymbals in hands is another importantcharacter. The instrument currently used in theperformance is clarinet. It helps to continue therhythm created by shahir.

AN INSTRUMENTAL ROLEIn Khadi Gammat, often the one-tuned dholki isused. At each side of dholki’s circumference are nineholes, and in them there is provision to tie smallropes. Tightening the small rope tunes the sound ofdholki to crest and trough. Though dholki isimportant in the art, daf or halgi also holdconspicuous place. Core daf is octagonal orhexagonal. Chang is also a type of daf and is circular.Halgi is smaller than daf. Among them, smaller isdafli or khanjeri. The shahir has a daf. He plays onthe daf, accompanied by the dholak, tal and chonke.

Tuntune or chonka is an instrument with


FOOTNOTES: 1. Gopika: cowherd’s wife, 2. Mavashi: anelderly woman, 3. Songadya: the one who creates humour,4. Sutradhar: narrator 5. Nachya: a female character performedby a male who dances, 6. Gamtya: one who performs mimicry,7. Dolkya: one who beats drum, 8. Chonkya: the one whoperforms the one-stringed instrument, tuntune, 9. Gaulan: apresentation related to Krishna and cowherd’s wives inMathura, 10. Patlya: a thick and broad golden ornament, 11.Tuntune: a one-stringed indigenous musical instrument,12. Talkari: one who plays tal cymbals are bigger than tal ormanjira, 13. Lavani: a Maharashtrian folk dance form withromantic import and titillating gestures, in which the maindancer is accompanied by a group of dancers, 14. Powada: aballad form with narrative content; folk, narrative song, and15. Wag: dramatic dialogues in tamasha.

TTHHEE VVAARRIIOOUUSSAATTTTRRIIBBUUTTEESS � Khadi Gammat ispresented withnarratives tohighlight varioussocial problemsand Governmentschemes.� In WesternMaharashtra,under the Muslimrule, KhadiGammat came tobe known astamasha. Thismight havehappened before700 years.� Gamtya is theone who performshumour. He wearsa short dhoti and isaffable character. � The femalecharacter, nachyahas received widepopularity. � Though dholki isimportant in theart, various typesof dafs have beenused named as daf,halgi, chang anddholak, etc.

K

Sitting by the bay window as I sipped mycup of hot coffee while planning a holiday,my eyes fell on a poem by BhawaniPrasad Mishra, Satpura ke ghane jungle,

neend mein doobe hue se unghte, unmane jungle.The beautiful lines transported me to a land ofwilderness and a place where nature’s bounty is atits best. Our family holiday destination wasdecided—Pench National Park.

Who can forget Mowgli, the pint-sized child andhis adventures with Sher Khan and Bagheera ofRudyard Kipling’s best-seller Jungle Book? Teamingwith exotic wildlife, this land inspired the acclaimedauthor to pen his most famous work. Spread over anarea of 750 sq km, Pench National Park—located on

the border of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, ata distance of 70 km from Nagpur—nestles in thelower southern reaches of the Satpura mountainrange and is named after Pench river flowingthrough the park. The park lies between Chhind -wara and Seoni districts of Madhya Pradesh, and in1992 became India’s 19th Project Tiger.

Days passed, bags got packed, goodie bags andaccessories loaded, cameras and iPads in place, thefamily set out on an adventure-filled trip. Havingleft our cars behind, special open-topped vehiclestook us to the tent houses located in a picturesquesetting. Birds of varied hues flitted through thetrees overhanging our rooftops, even as themonkeys chattered excitedly in the dense foliage.

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(Clockwise from top) Acaptivating view of PenchNational Park, a cheetal,

peacock atop a tree, tenthouses, water reservoir,migratory birds, tourists

on a jungle safari andtiger, the star of the Park

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WANDERLUSTPENCH

WHERE NATURE BECKONSIf you wish to get enchanted by nature’s beauty, the wildlife, open meadows and grasslands,Pench National Park is where you need to head this winter vacation, says PPaallllaavvii SSiinngghh

The sounds of the jungle filter through the night, asyou drift off to sleep to the distant yipping of jackal.Get ready to have a surprise visitor in the form ofa sambar deer at your doorstep in the morning.

An early morning gypsy safari in the nationalpark is a fun-filled activity. As you set out on yourtiger trail through the dense forest, scanning thevast stretch of open meadows and grasslands, youare bound to come across herds of cheetal or thespotted deer, sambhar, langurs, barking deer,jackals, fox, chinkaras, wild dogs and hyenas, toname a few. Keep your ears open to hear the alarmcalls of the jungle natives for they may announcethe entry of Sher Khan when it is least expected.

A birding heaven, Pench is home to over 250species of migratory and resident birds that includethe beautiful Indian roller or the blue jay, Malabarpied hornbill and the grey-headed fishing eagle.

Take time to savour the beauty of the jungle—fawns suckling, baby langurs playing andtumbling over each other, gaur munching theirway through the sal trees. There are peacockseverywhere, and bee-eaters and rollers, and if onelooks carefully, owls sleeping through the day canbe spotted in the nook of a branch.

You have the option of enjoying an elephantsafari in Pench. Elephants have the ability to wanderinto non-motorable territory and surround the tigers,thus, enabling closer sightings of the forest’s king.

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This viewing on elephant back is called Tiger Show.The hour just before sunset is pure bliss. The lightis perfect for photography; the air gradually getscooler and all around you have the sights andsounds of the jungle.

Pench Jungle Camp, a clean and well-runcamp, is a five-minute ride from the Touria Gate.It offers air-conditioned tents, a swimming pooland a pleasant garden for candle-lit dinners. Theresident naturalist is happy to take you on naturewalks. You can while away the afternoon breakbetween the two game drives at the small libraryfull of wildlife books and videos. There aremountain bikes and horses for adveture lovers.

Tiger is the obvious star of Pench, but bear andIndian wild dog, dhole, are also high on the list ofany keen wildlife enthusiast. However, nothingcan be as romantic as sleeping on open rooftopmachan or covered platform and waking up to thechirping of birds and chatter of monkeys. Thejungle’s night noises follow you back to your tentsalong lantern-lit sawdust paths.

Remember to take binoculars, camera with thelongest lens you have, water, identification booksor animal and bird guidebooks, and a notebook tokeep a game list when you travel to Pench. Carryloose and comfortable clothes apart from a hat,especially if you are travelling in summer. Thebest time to visit is October to February.


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NavigatorGGEETTTTIINNGG TTHHEERREEBy Air: Nagpur is thenearest airport and hasair links to Mumbai andDelhi. From Nagpur, driveto Khawasa (80 km) fromwhere Pench’s Touriagate is just 12 km away. By Railway: Thenearest railhead isNagpur (92 km). By Road: From Nagpur(80 km) and Jabalpur(190 km), one can driveon NH 7, and reachKhawasa, from wherethe park is just 12 km.

Pench wasthe co-starwith a family oftigers in a BBCdocumentarythat was filmedin the jungleand narratedby well-knownEnglishbroadcaster andauthor Sir DavidAttenborough

discussions about Karad–Chiplun, Vaibhavwadi–Kolhapur,Ahmednagar–Beed–Parli and Lonand–Phaltan–Baramatiroutes. The work on Wadsa–Desaiganj–Gadchiroli route isexpected to start by March 2016.

In the current year, the Udhna–Jalgaon (86 km) doubling, Kasu–Roha(26 km), Godhani–Kolumna (6 km) andHotgi–Tilati (9 km) are due to becommissioned. Union Railway MinisterSuresh Prabhu suggested that nodalofficers from the Ministry and the StateGovernment meet every week to reviewthe progress of the work.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavisalso met Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley over setting upa financial services centre in Mumbai. He said that financialservices centres exist in many countries and one such centrecan be created in Mumbai too. He said that a proposal willbe submitted soon.


Te proposed mega projects of Maharashtra such asMumbai’s coastal road and Pune Metro have gotapproval from the Centre, said Chief Minister Devendra

Fadnavis. The Chief Minister had discussion with UnionMinister for Urban Development, Housing and Urban PovertyAlleviation, M. Venkaiah Naidu on Mumbai Metro, Pune Metroand Smart City. He said that approval will be given to PuneMetro Rail Project soon after the revised DPR from the StateGovernment is submitted and clearance is granted.

The final notification for the coastal road project will beissued soon, said Union Minister for Environment, PrakashJavadekar in a meeting with Chief Minister DevendraFadnavis. The Ministers had discussion on various projects,including the upcoming Mumbai Trans Harbour Link andthe conservation of Western Ghats.

In other meetings, a special purpose vehicle will beestablished shortly to handle and speed up all pending railwayprojects across the State, said the Chief Minister after a meetingwith Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu. The meeting had

CENTRE’S NOD TO MEGA PROJECTS

DELHI DIARYFROM THE CENTRE

Chief Minister holds a string of meetings with Union Cabinet Ministers in Delhi to take forwardState’s ambitious projects such as Mumbai’s coastal road and Pune Metro

In 2014-15,the Railwayscommissioned50 km of newtracks in theState. This isexpected to goup to 127 kmthis year

(Clockwise from below) Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in a meeting with Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Union Minister for Urban Development, Housing andUrban Poverty Alleviation M. Venkaiah Naidu, Union Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhu and Union Minister for Environment Prakash Javadekar in New Delhi


President Pranab Mukherjee conferred the Indira GandhiNational Service Scheme Awards for the year 2014-15 toindividuals and organisations for their active role in tree

plantation, blood donation and social awareness camps. Theaward is a recognition of outstanding contribution of theuniversity NSS cells, programme officers, college and plus twoNSS units and NSS volunteers to social service.

The awards were presented by the Ministry of YouthWelfare and Sports at Darbar Hall, Rashtrapati Bhavan on theoccasion of the birth anniversary of former Prime MinisterLate Indira Gandhi. The winners included programmecoordinators of five universities, programme officers of tencolleges and coordinators of 32 universities of India renderingexcellent services through NSS. Minister of State for YouthAffairs and Sports (Independent Charge), Sarbananda Sonowaland Secretary Rajiv Gupta were present on the occasion.

The Ministry for Transport has given approval to 3,839 km ofState highways to be widened and upgraded to NationalHighways. This will help in boosting development of tribal areas

and pilgrimage places in the State. The highways chosen for thework include State highways of Marathwada, Vidarbha and WesternMaharashtra. Maharashtra got the approval in a meeting held withUnion Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping, NitinGadkari and Maharashtra Minister for Public Works, ChandrakantPatil. Maharashtra Minister for Energy, ChandrashekharBawankule, Additional Chief Secretary, PWD, Anand Kulkarni,Secretary, P.G. Ganvir and Managing Director, MSRTC, R. Mopalwarwere present on the occasion.

—Dayanand Kamble, Deputy Director, MIC, New Delhi

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Online Government services are the need of hour and can be made possiblethrough Jan Dhan Aadhaar Mobile (JAM), expressed Chief Minister DevendraFadnavis at Delhi Economics Conclave 2015. The conclave was organised by

Union Finance Ministry at Vigyan Bhawan. Speaking on the occasion, Chief MinisterDevendra Fadnavis stressed the need of technology to bring greater connectivitywith people across the country. He said through JAM, Government welfare schemescan reach the last person. So far, Government of Maharashtra has registered 1.25crore bank accounts under Jan Dhan Yojana. Union Minister for Finance ArunJaitely, Chief Minister of Chhatisgarh Dr. Raman Singh, Chief Minister of AndhraPradesh Chandrababu Naidu, Union Minister of State for Finance Dr. Jayant Sinha,Union Minister of State for Petroleum, Dharmendra Pradhan and Minister forFinance Sudhir Mungantiwar were present on the occasion.

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In the next four years, Maharashtra aims to attractinvestment of `5 lakh crore and generate 20 lakhemployment opportunities, expressed Subhash Desai,

Minister for Industries, while inaugurating the MaharashtraPavilion at India International Trade Fair 2015 (IITF) atPragati Maidan, New Delhi. Minister of State for IndustriesPraveen Pote-Patil, Principal Secretary, Industries, ApurvaChandra, Resident Commissioner, Abha Shukla, ProtocolCommissioner, Lokesh Chandra, and Director, MaharashtraState Small Scale Development Corporation, Shivaji Daundwere present on the occasion. Speaking further, SubhashDesai said that during past one year, the State has takenmany initiatives to boost the industrial sector. Conduciveatmosphere has been created for investors.

During the year, investment of `80,000 crore has beenmade, generating 50,000 new employment opportunities.Favourable atmosphere has been generated for small scaleindustries. To boost small scale industries, `200 crore hasbeen made available as capital through SIDBI, while `75crore have been provided by Maharashtra Government.

The Government has reduced number of permissions tostart industry to 25 now. The Government in past one yearhas taken 47 industry-related decisions. The work of Delhi–Mumbai Industrial Corridor is in progress. For this, about 4 hectare land has been made available. Soon work ofShendra–Bidkin Industrial estate will start.

D


Agrand memorial forBalasaheb Thackeray,Shiv Sena Chief will be

built at the Mayor’s bungalowin Shivaji Park area, said ChiefMinister Devendra Fadnavis.

Chief Minister said that apublic trust under the State

Government will be set up towork out modalities for thememorial. The trust will beheaded by Uddhav Thackerayand will include Chief Secre-tary and senior Governmentofficials. With the help of trust,the framework of memorialwill be prepared. With the con-struction of the memorial, theGovernment will try to formthe State of his dreams andtake the benefits of develop-ment to each citizen, addedthe Chief Minister.

MAHARASHTRARECENT MOVES

Chief Minister DevendraFadnavis has said that theState will build 50 digital

villages by the end of 2016. TheGovernment’s first such project isat Harisal in Melghat, whereMicrosoft will help the State.

Chief Minister DevendraFadnavis was speaking at theMicrosoft Future UnleashedConference held in Mumbai re-cently. With the help ofMicrosoft’s ICT-based smart pro-ject, the State Government will

create the first digital village atHarisal and overcome its problemof malnutrition. The ChiefMinister said that the integrationof technology will help enhancehealthcare facilities, education,energy and other services in ruralareas of the State. He also under-lined the positive impact of theincreasing number of Governmente-platforms in the State that havesimplified a lot of processes.

On the occasion, MicrosoftCEO Satya Nadella also discussedways to empower the lives of bil-lion-plus Indians with technol-ogy. He also shared how localdata centres will allow businessesto expand in India.

Chief Minister of Maharashtrarecently launched the firstphase of Mumbai City Sur-

veillance Project, covering southMumbai from Colaba to Worli,where 1,381 cameras have beeninstalled of over 6,000 CCTVs.The whole project will be com-pleted by next year.

Speaking on the occasion,Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavissaid that CCTV network would

boost crime prevention, earlyresponse, detection, prosecutionand conviction. The State Govern-ment’s endeavour is to ensureoptimum use of manpower withtechnological intervention foreffective policing. “We plan tocomplete all the three phasesbefore November 26, 2016. Theentire city of Mumbai would beunder digital camera surveil-lance,” he added.

MAHARASHTRATO GET 50 DIGITALVILLAGES BY 2016

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MUMBAI, NOW SAFER AND SMARTERWITH CCTV SURVEILLANCE

GRAND MEMORIALOF BALASAHEBTHACKERAY AT

MUMBAI MAYOR’SBUNGALOW

The Government ofMaharashtra has launchedGopinath Munde Accident

Insurance Scheme for farmersin the State. The scheme aimsto provide more social andeconomic security to farmersand their families. To be im-plemented from 2015-16, thescheme will bring each farmer`2 lakh annual insurancecover. The Government will

pay the premium of `27.25crore for the scheme.

The accident insurancescheme will benefit 1.37 crorefarmers in the 10-75 year agegroup. The term of the currentscheme ends on November30, 2015. The new schemewill cover farmers who are victim of accidental death andthose left handicapped byroad and rail accidents.Eventualities like snake bite,murder, electric shocks, scorpion bites, Naxal attacks,animal attacks and lightningstrikes are also covered underthe scheme. According to aGovernment circular, farmerswhose names have been regis-tered on 7/12 land extractswould be able to avail thebenefit of the scheme.

GOPINATH MUNDE FARMERS ACCIDENTINSURANCE SCHEME LAUNCHED


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Asserting that the city ofMumbai is not just thefinancial capital of

India, but also the culturalcapital of India, Governor Ch.Vidyasagar Rao expressed theneed to create a ‘culture dis-

trict’ in Mumbai. “Such a dis-trict will serve as a democraticplatform for artists and musi-cians from India and abroad,where they will be able toperform and showcase theirtalent,” he added.

The Governor wasspeaking after presenting theAditya Vikram Birla KalaShikhar Award for LifetimeAchievement to santoormaestro Pandit Shiv KumarSharma in Mumbai. Directorof Birla Group, RajashreeBirla and Honorary Secretaryof Sangit Kala KendraLalit Daga were presenton the occasion.

Mentioning that Mumbaihas music corners in suburbs,the Governor said such plat-forms should be ‘identified,supported and strengthened’to make them dynamic cen-tres for propagation of art.

The Governor presentedthe Aditya Vikram BirlaKala Kiran Awards to MuradAli Khan (sarangi) andSatyajit Talwalkar (tabla)and Special Jury Award toSanjeev and Ashwani Shankar(both shehnai).

Government of Maharashtrahas approved a revisedscheme, APJ Abdul Kalam

Amrut Yojna for expecting andlactating women in the tribalareas of the State. The schemewill provide at least one full, nu-tritious meal to every pregnantlady and lactating mother. Thescheme will benefit around1.9 lakh women in the first yearand will be implemented throughAnganwadis. Each meal given isestimated to cost `22.

Under the scheme, a free,

nutritious meal would be servedat the Anganwadis. The meal willinclude pulses, fruits, vegetables,rice and boiled eggs and milkon few occasions. The mealswill be provided for six monthsbeginning from a lady’s thirdtrimester of pregnancy to threemonths after delivery.

APJ ABDUL KALAMAMRUT YOJNA

FOR TRIBAL AREASOF THE STATE

ADITYA VIKRAM BIRLA AWARD TOPT. SHIV KUMAR SHARMA

QUALITY SERVICES ANDSMART LEADERSHIP

To make Smart Cities a success,Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavishas called for empowering Mayors

to enable better performance. “If wewant a Mayor to perform, it is impor-tant to empower one with enoughpowers,” he said, while speaking onSmart Cities Project at PrabodhanLeaders Conclave 2015 in London.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavissaid that Smart Cities is not merelyabout technology, but about involvingpeople and understanding their needs,and Maharashtra is moving in that di-rection. He also stressed on the impor-tance of quality of life. “We have tocreate jobs, provide newer services andgive better quality of life to people. Weare building a new city, NAINA, whichwill be bigger than Mumbai,” he said.

During an interaction with ChiefExecutive Officers, the Chief Ministerassured that, while creating infrastruc-ture, there won’t be any hurdles interms of land acquisition, and cited theNavi Mumbai model of development.The best use of services will definitelybring down the cost, which is the mainobjective. This will be achieved by theState Government by creating SmartCities, he said. The Chief Minister fur-ther said that one needs to put waterand power supply into smart grid tokeep a count of every drop of waterand every unit of power.

During the conclave, the ChiefMinister interacted with the gatheringon the subject of urban infrastructure,public-private partnership, powers ofMayor and new technologies.

To promote nature tourismin the State, theGovernment has decided

to set up Maharashtra NatureTourism Board in forest areasto ensure protection of 48sanctuaries, six national parksand four reserve forests.

The board will have regula-tory and executive authoritywith its head office at Nagpur.Minister for Forests will be itsChairman and the PrincipalChief Conservator (ForestResource) as its Executive Chief.

The board will ensure de-velopment of natural resourcesand tourism facilities acrossthe State. According to recentstatistics, around 10 lakh peo-ple visit wildlife areas in theState annually. In last fewyears, people have been at-tracted to national parks,forests and sanctuaries.

STATE NATURE TOURISM DEVELOPMENTBOARD TO PROMOTE TOURISM

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The Board willensure develop -ment of forests andnatural resources inMaharashtra andtourism aroundthese locations

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In a welcome move, theState Government hasmade home toilets must for

those willing to contest pollsof Municipal Corporations,Councils and Panchayats bymaking suitable amendmentsto the Civic Acts pertaining tothese. The initiative hasalready been implemented at

the village level for contestinglocal bodies elections.

On the lines of SwachhBharat Abhiyan, SwachhMaharashtra Abhiyan is beingimplemented in the State withthe aim to make toilets avail-able for each family and to doaway with the practice ofopen defecation.

According to the 2011census, the urban populationof Maharashtra is around 5.8crore comprising 1.8 crorefamilies. Of these, around 8per cent, i.e. 8.32 lakh fami-

lies are without toilets in theirhomes and need to be provided the same.

To end open defecation incities, October 2, 2017, hasbeen set up as deadline. Forthis, the Government hasalready initiated MissionMode in 366 urban centres.For the success of the mission,cooperation of elected repre-sentatives is crucial. Hence, itis imperative that people’srepresentatives must firsthave and make use of toiletfacilities at their homes.

HOME TOILETSMUST FOR

CONTESTING CIVICPOLLS IN STATE

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MAHARASHTRARECENT MOVES

Maharashtra, by followingthe principles ofConstitution, will emerge

as the most progressive State inthe country, said Chief MinisterDevendra Fadnavis. The ChiefMinister said this while payingtribute to Bharat RatnaDr. Babasaheb Ambedkar on theoccasion of Constitution Day ob-served throughout the country onNovember 26.

Taking a pledge to commemo-rate the day, the Chief Ministersaid that the State Governmenthas and will always be governedby the Constitution given to thenation by Dr. Babasaheb Ambed-kar. “He always strived for thesocio-economic uplift of theoppressed and suppressed sec-tions of society, and the Constitu-tion laid the very foundation ofsocial justice and equality. ThePreamble of our Constitutiongives direction to the nation onhow democracy would ensure jus-tice to the last human being,” saidDevendra Fadnavis.

On the occasion, the Chief Min-ister led over 1.25 lakh studentsfrom various schools to recite thePreamble of the Constitution at amass recitation programme organ-ised by the Ministry of Social Jus-tice at Yashwant Stadium in

Nagpur. Minister for Social JusticeRajkumar Badole, Minister forEnergy Chandrakant Bawankule,Minister of State for Social JusticeDilip Kamble and City MayorPravin Datke were also present.

RST Nagpur University’s Vice-Chancellor Siddartha VinayakKane and Registrar, PuranMeshram presented a copy of theaction plan of the varsity for the125th birth anniversary celebra-tions of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar.

The Samvidhan Divas wasobserved all across Maharashtraon November 26 with publicreading of the Preamble at Gov-

ernment, semi-Government andeducational institutions. The Con-stitution of india was adopted onthis day in 1949 before it cameinto force on January 26, 1950.The day is being celebrated asSamvidhan Divas for the past sev-eral years in the State. InMantralaya, Minister for State forHome, Dr. Ranjit Patil participatedin a programme of public readingof the Preamble.

A MANUAL THAT HELPS ONE BECOME PROGRESSIVE

On the occasionof Constitution Day,the Chief Ministerled over 1.25 lakhstudents from variousschools of the State torecite the Preamble

Adraft bill to prevent attacks on journalists inMaharashtra is in the final stage. Speaking at theBest Journalism Awards ceremony 2014, honouring

journalists from all across the State, Chief Minister DevendraFadnavis said that the draft will come into final shape afterdiscussions with various journalists’ organisations. The functionwas organised by the Directorate General of Information andPublic Relations (DGIPR), Government of Maharashtra, atSahyadri Guest House in Mumbai.

The Lokmanya Tilak Lifetime Achievement Award for 2014was awarded to renowned columnist Padma Shri MuzaffarHussain. The award comprises a shawl, coconut, scroll of honourand `1 lakh in cash. Manisha Patankar-Mhaiskar, Secretary,DGIPR, Chandrashekhar Oak, Director General, DGIPR andShivaji Mankar, Director, News and Public Relations, DGIPR,were present on the occasion.

The Chief Minister said that besides implementation of anAct to prevent attacks on journalists, the State Government isconsidering pension schemes for scribes. Various Government


INFORMATIONEXCHANGE

AWARDS GALORE FOR SCRIBESThe Best Journalism Awards 2014 ceremony saw laurels bestowed on journalistsand the announcement of a draft bill to stop attacks on media being in the final stage

� Acharya Balshastri JambhekarAward (Marathi): `51,000,memento and certificate: JhanviVinod Patil, daily, Tarun Bharat,Ratnagiri� Anant Gopal Shevade Award(English): `41,000, memento andcertificate: Ananya Dutt, daily,Times of India, PuneBaburao Vishnu Paradkar(Hindi): `41,000, memento andcertificate: Mukesh R. Sharma,daily, Lokmat Samachar, Gondia� Maulana Abul Kalam AzadAward (Urdu): `41,000,memento and certificate: SheikhPyar Mohammed, evening daily,Nanded Rahebar, Nanded� Yashwantrao Chavan Award,Government Category(Marathi):(DGIPR): ̀ 41,000,memento and certificate: Prashant

Annadrao Satpute, InformationOfficer, Satara� P.L.Deshpande Best Story forTelevision Award: `41,000,memento and certificate: SantoshMadhukar Lokhande, Zee 24taas,Buldhana� Tolaram Kukreja BestNewspaper PhotographerAward: `41,000, memento andcertificate: Vidhyadhar RaghunathRane, daily Sakaal, Mumbai� Keki Moose Best Photogra-pher Award, Government Cate-gory: (DGIPR): ̀ 41,000, mementoand certificate: Vijay Vaijnath AppaHokarne, Photographer,District Information Office, Nanded� Social Media Award: `41,000,memento and certificate: AshishChandorkar, Chief Sub-Editor,Maharashtra Times (Online), Pune

STATE-LEVEL AWARDS

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Secretary, Directorate General of Information and Public Relations, Manisha Patankar-Mhaiskar and Director GeneralChandrashekhar Oak during the Best Journalism Awards 2014 ceremony, in Mumbai


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INFORMATIONEXCHANGE

M

Mahanews is a news portal of Directorate General ofInformation and Public Relations (DGIPR), Governmentof Maharashtra. The portal has been carrying news on

Government decisions, schemes, initiatives and programmes tothe media and people of the State since 2008. Keeping up withthe rise of social media, the portal has seen upgrades over theyears. Today, Mahanews is useful to people and media whilemaking efforts to increase people participation. Withappropriate planning by DGIPR Secretary Manisha Patankar-Mhaiskar, Director General Chandrashekhar Oak, Director

Devendra Bhujbal and Director Shivaji Mankar, the column ‘Firststep of fulfilling assurances’ has now become niche. With theGovernment implementing many people-oriented decisions,schemes and initiatives, the common man, farmer andagricultural labour all consider the Government as their own.

Information on Our Government, Service Guarantee Act,Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan and success stories and waterloggedareas have been shown through photographs. DigitalMaharashtra, LBT-free Maharashtra, 19 lakh tenements withinfive years, Shiv Arogya Seva, Indradhanush, OperationKayapalat, Amrit Aahar, purchase of the house where BharatRatna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar stayed in London during hisstudy, Government’s decision to build a memorial of

MAHANEWS

The all-inclusive news portal

developmental works reach people through them. The JalyuktaShivar Yojana became successful with the help of media. Healso announced a new award for journalists, who would work forcreating awareness for Swachh Maharashtra Abhiyan from

next year. The Government willendeavour to include more andmore scribes while signing newagreement for mediclaim, he said.

Chief Minister DevendraFadnavis expressed happiness onpresenting a separate award forsocial media category, which wasdeclared last year. “Like the main -stream media, social media shouldalso be responsible in its function -ing,” the Chief Minister said.

The recipient of the LifetimeAchievement Award, MuzaffarHussain said, “I am indeed veryproud to receive this award in

the name of a great personality like Lokmanya Tilak.Different languages make Maharashtra a rich State. For me,this award by Government of Maharashtra is a blessingof Mata Sarsawati.”

Speaking on the occasion, Manisha Patankar-Mhaiskarsaid, “Media plays a very important role in preventing wrongthings in society, especially in administration by criticisingthem. There are many noble people in society as well as inadministration doing constructive and positive work. Mediashould cover these diligently. The awards for the year 2015 willbe presented before May 1, 2016.”

Chandrashekhar Oak, Director General, DGIPR, said, “Thefunction is organised to felicitate the journalists giving positivedirection to society through constructive writings.”

The committee members for the evaluation of the BestJournalism Award 2014, Chandan Shirvare, Anurag Tripathi,Surendra Gangan and Deepak Bhatuse were felicitated on theoccasion. Shivaji Mankar, Director, News and Public Relationsproposed the vote of thanks. The programme was compered byPradeep Bhide. M.L.A. Raj Purohit, Director, Administration,DGIPR, Devendra Bhujbal, senior journalists and variouseminent people were also present.

� Dadasaheb Potnis Award,Nashik Division: `51,000 (of this`10,000 awarded by dailyGavakari), memento andcertificate: Charusheela SubhashKulkarni, Senior Reporter, daily,Loksatta, Nashik� Annatrao Bhalerao Award,Aurangabad Division (IncludingLatur): ̀ 41,000, memento andcertificate: Hari RamkrishnaTugavkar, daily Sakaal, Latur � Acharya Atre Award, MumbaiDivision: ̀ 41,000, memento andcertificate: Sanjay Krishna Bapat,Special Correspondent, dailyLoksatta, Mumbai � Nansaheb Parulekar Award,Pune Division: ̀ 41,000, mementoand certificate: Yogesh SopanBorate, News Reporter, daily,

Maharashtra Times, Pune � S.M.Paranjape Award-KonkanDivision: `41,000, memento andcertificate: Dilip Shantaram Shinde,daily Sakaal, daily Pudhari, Thane� G.G. Jadhav Award-KolhapurDivision: ̀ 41,000, memento andcertificate: Indumati Ganesh(Suryavanshi), Reporter–Sub-Edi-tor, daily Lokmat, Kolhapur� Loknayak Bapuji Anne Award-Amravati Division: ̀ 41,000,memento and certificate: Harshnandan Suresh Wagh, Correspondent, daily, Lokmat,Buldhana � G.T. Madkholkar Award-Nagpur Division: ̀ 41,000,memento and certificate: PraveenShreeram Lonkar, daily Maharash-tra Times, Nagpur

DIVISION-LEVEL AWARDS

Media plays avery important rolein preventingwrong things insociety, especially inadministration bycriticising them.There are manynoble people insociety as well as inadministrationdoing constructiveand positive work. —ManishaPatankar-Mhaiskar

T

On the occasion of Government’s one year in office,special issues of Lokrajya, Maharashtra Ahead andLokrajya (Urdu) for November 2015 were released by

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at Sahyadri GuestHouse, Mumbai. A dialogue with the Chief Minister was

organised by Mantralaya AniVidhimandal Vartahar Sangh.

On the occasion of completion ofone year, all the Departments ofGovernment of Maharashtracontributed columns by respectiveMinisters for the DGIPRpublications, sharing theimportant decisions taken andwork done over the past one year.

Director General, DGIPR,Chandreshekhar Oak, Media

Advisor to the Chief Minister, Ravikiran Deshmukh,President of the Mantralaya Ani Vidhimandal VartaharSangh Chandan Shirwale and Secretary ChandrakantShinde were present with other office bearers at the launchof the special issue.


Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar at Indu Mill compound in Mumbaiwere topics covered on the portal.

The State Government’s decision to provide wheat at ̀ 2per kg and rice at ̀ 3 per kg to 68lakh farmers in the suicide-affecteddistricts was publicised througharticles in Mahanews.

With citizens confident of thewelfare programmes, their

participation in the projects has increased. On the occasion ofcompletion of one year of the State Government, the DGIPRpublished a separate booklet for each district.

— Dhondiram Arjun

M

MAHARASHTRA AHEAD

Special issue on Government’sone year in office

Specialissues of DGIPRpublications werereleased byChief MinisterDevendra Fadnavis.A dialogue withChief Ministerwas organised byMantralaya AniVidhimandalVartahar Sangh

URDU LOKRAJYAGHALIB AWARD TO DGIPR EDITOR

The coveted Ghalib Award fromGhalib Institute bestowed on anauthor with huge contribution toUrdu literature has gone to AslamParvez, Sub Editor, Urdu Lokrajya.The award carries a cash prize of`75,000 and has a certificate andmemento. The award has beengiven for Aslam Parvez’s special

contribution to Urdu drama. The award will be given by Lt.Governor of Delhi, Najeeb Jung at the inauguration ofInternational Ghalib Festival to be held in New Delhi.

A TABLEAU BASED ON DEVELOPMENT WORKS

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis gave a green signal tothe tableau created by Nagpur–Amravati Division of DGIPRto celebrate Government’s one year in the office. In thebackdrop of the Kalidas Festival, a photo exhibition washeld in the precincts ofDeshpande Auditorium, Nagpur.The exhibition had relics fromthe six divisions of Nagpur andwas inaugurated by the ChiefMinister. Along with theexhibition, Nagpur DistrictInformation Officer, Anil Thakrecreated a pictorial informativetableau, where information onvarious schemes of theGovernment was shown throughLED lights. Guardian MinisterChandrashekhar Bawankule, M.L.A. Anil Sole, DivisionalCommissioner Anoop Kumar, District Collector SachinKurve, Director Mohan Rathod, District Information OfficerAnil Thakre, Anil Gadekar, Manisha Savle, Vivek Khadseand others graced the occasion.

d

The pictorial,informativetableau fromNagpur carriesinformation onvariousschemes ofGovernment ofMaharashtralaunched inpast one year

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All the major cities of the world are currently underthe shadow of danger from terrorist organisations.Mumbai has already experienced the pangs of such an

attack. In order that big cities of the world are ready toprotect themselves from such attacks, an internationalmeeting was held recently in New York. The Strong CitiesNetwork (SCN) is a group of 25 cities of the world broughttogether on one platform by the United Nations to pool intheir strategies to combat terrorism and violent extremism.The network was formally launched at the U.N. in a meetingheld recently at New York and chaired by U.S. PresidentBarack Obama. Mumbai was represented at the meeting byMinister of State (Home) Dr. Ranjit Patil.

During the meeting, Dr. Ranjit Patil shared with theaudience Maharashtra Police’s best practices to counterterrorism and violent extremism, including Force One,various successful strategies of Mumbai Police and AntiTerrorism Squad (ATS), Maharashtra, local functioning ofMohalla Committees and the proposed de-radicalisationstrategies for peace-building among the citizens. Onthis international platform, he requested best practicesin technical expertise of all the countries for the use

of modern technology, especially cyber security towardscountering violent extremism.

President Obama, in his opening remarks at the summit,said the world faced “a grave challenge in the form of terrorism.”

He predicted that terror groups likeISIS would lose the global battlebecause these have nothing to offerother than suffering and death. Hesaid that terrorism cannot come to anend in one night. Everyone needs totoil day and night for it to happen. Heannounced the setting up of Inter -national Steering Committee of theSCN. Dr. Ranjit Patil was chosen as amember of the Committee.

To save the country from ‘lonewolf attacks’ and keep the intruders

away, Dr. Ranjit Patil suggested to strengthen the mindset ofcitizens so that they do not fall prey to violent groupslike ISIS. Sensitising the youth, building awareness amongthem, and educating, skilling and employing them areequally important, he added.


MEETINGGLOBAL SECURITY

A FIGHT AGAINST TERRORMaharashtra shares with the world its security measures post 26/11 Mumbai terrorattacks at Strong Cities Network, New York. A report

(Clockwise from top) Minister of State (Home) Dr. Ranjit Patil during the Strong Cities Network meeting organised by the United Nations in New York

Activeround the clock,the Force Onesquad of theMumbai Policehas beentrained at aglobal level tocounter anyattack andprotectcommon people

Printed at KALA JYOTHI PROCESS PVT. LTD., Plot No. W-17 & W-18, MIDC, Taloja Industrial Area, Taloja-410 208, Navi Mumbai.Published by Directorate General of Infromation & Public Relations Mantralaya Mumbai 400 032 on behalf of Government of Maharashtra.Managing Editor CHANDRASHEKHAR OAK, Director General of Information and Public Relations.

O.I.G.S. Presented byThe Government of India

Digamber W. PalveSenior Assistant Director

Directorate General of Information and Public RelationsMaharashtra Government

Barrack No. 19, Free Press Journal MargMumbai 400 021.

Always AheadGRAB A COPY TO KNOW ABOUT INDIA’S LEADING STATE AND THE OPPORTUNITIES IT OFFERS

Maharashtra Ahead,

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