On Foundation Day, Guv appeals people to make state plastic

Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao today hailed various welfare schemes of the state government and appealed to the people to join a plastic-free movement, on the occasion of the 49th Foundation Day of the state.

Speaking at the foundation day celebration function at Shivaji Park in Central Mumbai, the governor praised various measures initiated by the BJP-led government, ranging from a loan waiver to setting up a railway coach manufacturing factory in Latur in backward Marathwada region.

He also hailed the the state government for its decision to ban the use, production and sale of all forms of plastic and thermocol for environmental protection.

"This is a very important decision and this will help conserve the environment and natural sources," he said.

"The state government is committed to achieve all-round development and progress of the state. I appeal to all the citizens to contribute to the efforts of the government in making Maharashtra an influential and advanced state.

"The crop loan waiver benefits being given to farmers, the proposed railway coach manufacturing factory's prospects of creating 25,000 jobs, construction of 12 lakh houses and generation of over one lakh employment opportunities in the next five years, are some of the most ambitious schemes of the state government," said the governor.

He said the government is committed to double the income of farmers by 2022.

"Farm ponds, Jalyukta Shivar, digging of wells are some of the steps taken by the government to increase the area under irrigation," the governor said.

In the current year, the government has increased the irrigation capacity to 2.26 lakh hectares and has proposed to increase the water storage capacity to 853 million cubic meters, he said.

"Priority is being given to complete the work of ongoing 50 irrigation projects," he added.

"More than 55 lakh farmers were given the loan waiver benefit under the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Shetkari Sanman Yojana. Out of these, 46.5 lakh farmers were directly benefitted from this scheme. So far, an amount of Rs 14,789 crore was credited to 37, 20,000 farmers' bank accounts," he said.

The government has taken a decision to extend the loan waiver scheme to 2001 defaulter farmers.

"A total of three lakh farmers who had borrowed in 2008 and 2009, but were deprived of the loan waiver scheme, will be benefitted by this decision," he said.

Rao said a total of 60 lakh toilets were constructed in the state as a part of the 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan'.

The governor said 34 districts, 351 talukas, 27,667 gram panchayats and 40,500 villages in the state have become open defecation free (ODF).

He said the state government has formulated an industrial policy catering to women entrepreneurs.

"This will help 20,000 women entrepreneurs to start their businesses and enterprises. This will help create over one lakh jobs in the next five years," the governor said.

The MSRTC (Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation) has decided to provide jobs to legal heirs of those Army personnel who died in harness.

"The widows of these jawans will be given free journey in all the buses run by the MSRTC," Rao said.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Industries Minister Subhash Desai, Transport Minister Diwakar Raote and Education Minister Vinod Tawde were present at the event.

Later, Fadnavis, education minister Vinod Tawde, state Congress unit president Ashok Chavan, and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray separately offered floral tribute to the 107 martyrs who had fought for unified Maharashtra, at the Hutatma memorial at Fort in south Mumbai.