Kartik Lokhande's blog

Staff Reporter Deepak Kesarkar, Minister of State for Finance and Planning, strongly defended the supplementary demands of Rs 16,094 crore tabled before State Legislature. He said that the demands, which will be passed after discussion in next two days, were higher as the BJP-Shiv Sena Government was committed to providing relief to farmers affected by drought. When it was pointed out that the supplementary demands presented on Tuesday were a record for winter session, Kesarkar said, “The previous Congress-NCP Government had presented the highest supplementary demands of Rs 20,000 crore during monsoon session of 2014. However, they did it keeping an eye on ensuing Legislative Assembly elections. And, we have presented supplementary demands of Rs 16,094 crore to provide relief to farmers. There is a difference.” Talking to reporters at his Ravi Bhavan cottage on Tuesday evening, Kesarkar said that supplementary demands this time included Rs 9,374 crore of non-plan expend...

* The project may be included in Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana Staff Reporter Maharashtra Government has proposed an allocation of Rs 350 crore in supplementary demands tabled before State Legislature on Tuesday. The allocation has been made to put the project’s remaining work on fast track. Deepak Kesarkar, Minister of State for Finance and Planning, said that Rs 350 crore was an additional provision made for Gosikhurd national project. As per the document detailing supplementary demands, the additional provision would be made available to Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC). It may be mentioned here that the project was conceptualised more than 27 years ago but it is yet to be completed. The main reason for delay in completion of this project being inadequate financial allocations, issues pertaining to forest clearances, escalation of cost over the years, etc. The mega-irrigation project has got the status of a national project. For some time, it a...

* Rs 4,002.82 cr has been proposed for drought relief, and more amount for related expenditures Staff Reporter Maharashtra Government, on Tuesday, tabled supplementary demands of a record-breaking Rs 16,094 crore for approval before both the Houses of State Legislature. As had been hinted by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, a substantial part of the supplementary demands has been proposed to provide relief to drought-affected farmers in the State. The supplementary demands tabled this time have broken the record of Rs 11,695 crore worth of demands presented by the previous Congress-Nationalist Congress Party led Democratic Front Government in the winter session of 2013. This time, the BJP-Shiv Sena led Government has surpassed that figure, and has tabled supplementary demands of a whopping Rs 1,60,94,14,83,000 that is a new record as far as supplementary demands tabled during winter session of State Legislature are concerned. Now, these supplementary demands will come...

* Rs 700 crore made available so far and funds will be made available as and when required, says Chief Minister   * Rs 120 crore to be made available for Bawanthadi irrigation project   Staff Reporter   Finally, the farmers will be getting water for irrigating their farms. Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister, paid a visit to Gosikhurd irrigation project site in Bhandara district on Sunday and said that the project will irrigate farms in three years. He also announced that Rs 120 crore would be made available for Bawanthadi project, thus giving a boost to irrigation development in Vidarbha region.   Keeping his word, Fadnavis visited Gosikhurd irrigation project and took stock of the situation, understood various problems that needed to be sorted out, and issued necessary directions. After that, he announced that Gosikhurd waters will irrigate farms in three years. During his visit, Chief Minister reviewed progress on various counts -- from rehabilitation...