Maratha reservation: Govt has acted positively, says Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said his government had acted positively on the Maratha reservation issue and the matter was now in court.
He was speaking at the launch of several schemes to provide financial assistance to economically backward enterpreneurs under the Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj Entrepreneurship and Skill Development campaign being implemented by the Skill Development and Entrepreneurship department.
Fadnavis said these schemes would encourage farming and community agriculture, adding that over 2.5 lakh youth would be trained in farming and allied businesses.
He launched four schemes- personal loan interest refund scheme, group project loan interest refund scheme, group project loan scheme, and the Shetkari Kushal Yojana- to provide financial assistance to economically backward entrepreneurs.

He said that creating jobs for the youth was the responsibility of the state.
"We have launched these four schemes and the Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Shikshan Pratipurti Yojana for 602 study programmes to provide new avenues to students. Hostel facilities have been made available to students through the Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Hostel Scheme," the Chief Minister said.

He said that the Annasaheb Patil Economically Backward Development Corporation was preparing a "project appraisal system" under which banks will extend advances and the corporation would pay interest on them.
The Cabinet Sub Committee would review the schemes every fortnight and remove hurdles in their implementation, he added.

Stating that larger investments were required in community farming, Fadnavis appealed to agro-businessmen and farmers to come together.
"We started using urea in 1906 for farming and even after 112 years we have not found an alternative to it," Fadanvis said, emphasising on the need for scientific and experimental farming to increase the quality and quantity of the produce.
Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil said that the four schemes being implemented would generate jobs, adding that nearly 2.50 lakh farmers and youth would be provided skill development training for self-employment and business.
Under this, training in 34 farm-related study programmes had been included, he said.

Patil said officials of the Annasaheb Patil Economically Backward Development Corporation would be visiting each district and holding meetings of farmers and youth to inform them about these schemes.
Minister Eknath Shinde said that these schemes were prepared in such a way that they would reach the common masses and benefit them.
Skill Development Minister Sambhaji Patil-Nilangekar said that farming in Israel was considered to be the most progressive as that country was using scientific experiments and technology to enrich their agriculture.
"We must follow this system in Maharashtra by adopting modern techniques," he said.