Cabinet clears 20% RTO fine amnesty scheme

Mumbai: The Maharashtra state cabinet, led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, approved an amnesty scheme offering a 20 percent reduction on Regional Transport Office (RTO) fines alongside a dozen other developmental decisions in Mumbai on Wednesday to provide financial relief to motorists and resolve pending state-wide administrative matters through a series of government resolutions.

In a major move designed to clear a massive backlog of pending traffic challans, the state government introduced a targeted amnesty initiative for vehicle owners. Under this new scheme, motorists will receive a flat 20 percent waiver on the total fine amount imposed by the RTO for various vehicular offenses.

The calculated measure aims to encourage the swift settlement of long-pending dues, thereby injecting immediate revenue into the state exchequer while simultaneously unburdening citizens who have been grappling with accumulated transport penalties over the years.

Duty Waiver

In a high-profile decision concerning Mumbai, a full stamp duty waiver was granted to the Siddhivinayak Temple Trust for its purchase of the Ram Mansion building, a move that will facilitate the expansion of temple premises and the development of better amenities for millions of devotees.

The cabinet also delivered substantial financial boosts to the state's education and social welfare frameworks. The government more than doubled the subsistence allowance for students belonging to OBC, VJNT, and SBC categories residing in government hostels.

Under the revised structure, students housed in divisional-level facilities will now receive Rs 1,500 per month, while those in district-level hostels will be granted Rs 1,300.

In a parallel move to incentivize rural service, the cabinet sanctioned a significant hike in the internship allowance for final-year veterinary students under the Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences University, a decision aimed at aiding local farmers by strengthening rural veterinary clinics.

Furthermore, the higher education sector saw the removal of age and tenure limits for the Chancellor's post at the Hyderabad (Sind) National Collegiate University in Mumbai, allowing for the reappointment of the Vice-Chancellor.

Infrastructure Projects

Major judicial expansions and agricultural infrastructure projects were also heavily prioritized during the Wednesday meeting.

To strengthen the grassroots justice delivery system, the Law and Judiciary Department secured permission to establish three new Gram Nyayalayas, or Village Courts, in the Talasari, Mokhada, and Vikramgad talukas of Palghar district, complete with the creation of 15 ancillary administrative posts. Simultaneously, a regular Senior Civil Judge court was approved for Mukhed in Nanded district, which will replace the previously sanctioned linked court.

On the infrastructure front, the Agriculture Department obtained the cabinet's nod for a massive Rs 644.63 crore project to build an International Agriculture Facility Centre at Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth’s agriculture college located in Dabha, Nagpur.
On the revenue and administrative fronts, the government provided massive relief to residents in Gondia by approving the free conversion of residential lands, previously allotted through auction or lease, into Class-1 absolute ownership. The cabinet also allocated 1.86 hectares of land to the Bidgaon Tarodi Nagar Panchayat in Nagpur for the construction of a new administrative headquarters.

Finally, in a cooperative relief measure, the cabinet amended Rule 4 of the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies (Election to Committee) Rules, 2014, directing that administrator will not be appointed to 18 Category 'A' societies whose tenures have expired but where elections remain stalled due to severe drought conditions across the state.