Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Friday said the state government will ensure that middle income group people are able to afford their own houses.
“It is very difficult for the common man to own a house in Mumbai or at other big cities in Maharashtra. For this, we have decided to work towards a goal of ensuring affordable houses. And it will be ensured that it happens at the earliest,” he said.
The Chief Minister was speaking after unfurling the tricolour at the Mantralaya here to mark the 68th Independence Day.
Chavan added that the government will make Maharashtra an “online” state in the next five years that will reduce corruption and help citizens avail government facilities.
“We want to make Maharashtra an online state that will help citizens avail all the services of the government sitting at home. This will make government procedures transparent and efficient at the same time. We will ensure that the scheme reaches across to even the smallest of villages,” he said.
He said that the government during its term has provided reservation to the Marathas and Muslims, thereby fulfilling their long pending demands.
“By approving reservation for Marathas and Muslims in government jobs and education institutions, we have tried to ensure that demands of the minority communities are met,” he said.
“By launching the Rajiv Gandhi Jeevandayee Arogya Yojana, the government has tried to ensure that the needy get the best treatment free of cost. From the time it was initiated, around 5.62 lakh people people have benefited from it and the government has spent Rs 712 crores on this scheme,” he added.
Meanwhile, in Nagpur, Minister for EGS and District Guardian Minister, Nitin Raut unfurled the tricolour and said the Congress-NCP government in Maharashtra was committed to develop and shape the second capital into a world class city, a concept which was set in motion by late Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh.
Raut said the state government has drawn up an ambitious plan to develop the Gorewada zoo in western part of city on a sprawling 1800 hectares of land.
It was also developing infrastructure facilities on 1390 hectares of land in Buibori five star Industrial estate.
He said the work on beautification of holy shrine of sufi saint Baba Tajuddin worth Rs 132.49 crores has already started.
Raut said the state government was spending Rs 900 crore every month to procure food grains under the Food Security Act and about 7.17 crore population was benefiting from the scheme.
Divisional Commissioner Anoop Kumar, Commissioner of Police KK Pathak, District Collector Abhishek Krishna and others were present on the occasion.
In Gadchiroli, State Home Minister RR Patil endorsed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a ‘Clean India’ and urged people to participate in this campaign voluntarily and ensure that Maharashtra tops the initiative.
Patil reminded that the campaign of cleanliness was taken up in Maharashtra ten years ago which evoked tremendous response from citizens and the state bagged top honours from the Centre for seven times.
“Let us reduce the gap between communities and religions and resolve to make India a prosperous and strong nation on this sacred day,” Patil appealed to the people. Gadchiroli has been progressing well in the last few years, he
said.
