Cabinet clears way for tabling report of Kelkar panel in winter session


* A presentation on the report was made before State Cabinet and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday
By Kartik Lokhande 
Just a few days before the commencement of winter session of State Legislature, Maharashtra Government made clear its intention about taking up for consideration the report of Kelkar Committee on balanced development of various regions. On Wednesday, a presentation on the report was made before the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and State Cabinet.
With the presentation made in Mumbai, it is believed that the Government virtually cleared the path for tabling of the report during winter session. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar both had made it clear that the BJP Government in State was serious about the report of Kelkar Committee. Within a month after taking charge as Chief Minister, Fadnavis has got down to tackling the long-pending issue of removal of development backlog of Vidarbha and Marathwada regions.
The previous Congress-NCP Government had appointed a high-powered committee headed by noted economist Vijay Kelkar to study issues pertaining to backlog and make recommendations for balanced development of various regions. It was alleged that the then Government was trying to suggest a mechanism to ensure balanced development and change all existing parameters to calculate the backlog, by way of appointing the committee. As the Government was dominated by leaders from Western Maharashtra, there was stiff opposition to tabling of Kelkar Committee report in State Legislature.
As a result, though Kelkar Committee had submitted its report to the Governor in October last year, it was not tabled by Congress-NCP Government. During winter session last year, the then Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan had told the media that the report was being ‘studied’. In his directives for the year 2014-15, the then Governor K Sankaranarayanan had stated in clear terms, “The Governor expects the State Government to consider the report and its recommendations, including the proposed principles of allocation, and submit its views expeditiously, for his consideration.”
With the change in the ruling dispensation, and Chief Minister belonging to Vidarbha region, hopes were high that Kelkar Committee report would be tabled and recommendations pertaining to development of backward regions would get proper attention. Fadnavis also has taken up the matter seriously and it was indicated by the presentation on the committee report made before State Cabinet on Wednesday.
Kelkar Committee was constituted in May 2011. After a few extensions, it submitted the report two years late. The committee studied regional imbalance with regard to irrigation, agriculture, education, business, industries, self-employment, and private investment. The committee had members from Vidarbha also. It had visited various places in the State and had conducted public hearings including the ones in Nagpur and Amravati.
With the erstwhile Congress-NCP Government claiming that financial backlog of Vidarbha was over except for four districts, and the experts pointing out that physical backlog of the region had increased over the years due to State’s apathy, it will be interesting to see what are the recommendations of Kelkar Committee. 

(03-12-14)

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