Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today reviewed the working of his government's ambitious scheme that seeks to make the state drought-free by providing villages with permanent source of water.
He presided over a meeting to review the 'Jal Yukt Shivar Abhiyan' via video conferencing during which he asked Divisional Commissioners and District Collectors to complete the work allocated to them within a stipulated time.
The integrated water conservation and management initiative is "revolutionary" and has the capacity to change the face of the agriculture sector in the state, an official release quoted Fadnavis as saying in the meeting.
Also Read
"District Collectors should thus focus on completing the Abhiyan by using innovative ideas," he said.
He also reviewed the preparations for the upcoming kharif season, pre-monsoon arrangements and progress on financial aid given to farmers, who have suffered losses due to unseasonal rains and hailstorms.
Fadnavis informed the officials about the new schemes scheduled to be launched on May 9 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asked them to prepare themselves for implementing them across the state.
These include Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Bima Suraksha Yojana and Atal Pension Yojana.
The Chief Minister said Collectors should visit the spots where the water scheme (Jal Yukt Shivar) is being implemented.
"The report card of the scheme should be based on personal visits and not just paper work.
"You should invite experts like Anna Hazare, Popatrao Pawar and Rajendra Singh, who have done pioneering work in the area of water conservation," he suggested.
Fadnavis said additional JCB machines (excavators) would be made available to speed up works under the Abhiyan in Marathwada, Amravati and Nagpur divisions, the regions which perennially remain under the shadow of drought.
Rural Development Minister Pankaja Munde, Minister of State for Revenue Sanjay Rathod and top officials from different departments were present at the meeting that lasted for three hours.
