top of page

By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 11:29:11 am

Fadnavis writes off Rs 48,000 crore

Mumbai: In a clear indication that the Maharashtra government is leaving no stone unturned to keep the state’s agrarian base happy, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has unleashed yet another massive populist measure. Hot on the heels of relaxing the eligibility criteria to ensure a blanket farm loan waiver, the Chief Minister announced a sweeping Rs 48,000 crore waiver on the pending electricity bills of farmers across the state. Addressing a ‘Krutadnyata Sohala’ (gratitude ceremony)...

Fadnavis writes off Rs 48,000 crore

Mumbai: In a clear indication that the Maharashtra government is leaving no stone unturned to keep the state’s agrarian base happy, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has unleashed yet another massive populist measure. Hot on the heels of relaxing the eligibility criteria to ensure a blanket farm loan waiver, the Chief Minister announced a sweeping Rs 48,000 crore waiver on the pending electricity bills of farmers across the state. Addressing a ‘Krutadnyata Sohala’ (gratitude ceremony) organized by the BJP Kisan Morcha at Mumbai’s Yashwantrao Chavan Pratishthan on Wednesday, Fadnavis declared that farmers using agricultural pumps of up to 7.5 horsepower will see their historical electricity dues completely wiped out. The announcement was met with the traditional sounding of the Tutari and thunderous applause from hundreds of farmers who had gathered from every corner of the state. The Chief Minister framed the mega-sop as a necessary step to “wipe the farmers’ slate clean,” enabling them to write a new chapter of prosperity. Calculated Pitch The timing and scale of the announcement underscore a government that is boldly embracing populist economics to solidify its political footprint in rural Maharashtra. While Fadnavis maintained that these decisions were taken purely in the interest of the farmers—pointing out that the original loan waiver was announced when no elections were in sight—the political undertones were unmistakable. Taking a sharp dig at the opposition, the Chief Minister accused rival parties of running “political shops” in the name of farmer agitations without understanding the government’s genuine intent. Asserting his grassroots connection, Fadnavis proudly claimed, “I do not make decisions sitting in my house. I am a farmer myself, a man of the soil.” He openly defended the government’s recent move to strip away the stringent conditions attached to the blanket farm loan waiver, signaling that his administration will not hesitate to clear bureaucratic hurdles if it means putting money directly into the hands of the rural voter. Balancing Sops Even as he rained freebies, the Chief Minister attempted to balance the populist optics with a dose of economic pragmatism. He acknowledged that handing out repeated loan waivers is a symptom of deep-rooted agrarian distress, not a permanent cure. Pointing to the Rs 95,000 crore in aid currently being pumped into the agricultural sector by the state and central governments, Fadnavis outlined his administration’s shift toward an investment-driven agricultural model. He championed the success of schemes like ‘Jalyukt Shivar’ and ‘Magel Tyala Shettale’ (farm ponds on demand), claiming these initiatives have already empowered farmers to harvest multiple crops a year. Addressing the core issue of farming costs, he noted that the government already subsidises power to the tune of Rs 25,000 crore annually. By coupling this with a push for solar pumps and solar agricultural feeders, he promised that 100 percent of the state’s farmers would receive uninterrupted daytime electricity by the end of the year. Infra Dream Looking beyond immediate financial relief, the Chief Minister laid out a grandiose vision to permanently drought-proof Maharashtra’s most vulnerable regions. A staggering Rs 6 lakh crore infrastructure pipeline is being planned to ensure the next generation never witnesses a drought. Fadnavis detailed ambitious river-linking projects, including the Wainganga-Nalganga link, to divert excess floodwaters to parched regions. The state plans to construct 24 new dams and raise the height of 16 existing ones to ensure not a single district in Vidarbha faces water scarcity. Furthermore, massive engineering feats are on the drawing board to divert 200 TMC of floodwater from Western Maharashtra to Marathwada, and lift 275 TMC of wasted water from the Ulhas basin to quench the thirst of North Maharashtra and Marathwada. By marrying immediate, massive debt relief with long-term infrastructure promises, the Fadnavis administration is aggressively cementing its pro-farmer narrative. As the Yashwantrao Chavan auditorium echoed with whistles and cheers, it became highly evident that the government’s strategy of pairing mega populist waivers with big-ticket rural dreams is striking a powerful chord with the state’s agrarian voters.

BMC upgrades food and water testing lab

Mumbai: Keeping the health and safety concerns in mind, the BMC has now made its food and water testing laboratories more advanced. The result of the test will be given within 24 hours through email and WhatsApp. The test is also kept at a nominal price. The Municipal Analyst Laboratory located at the ‘G North’ Ward Office in Dadar tests more than 70,000 water and food samples every year.


“Citizens and commercial establishments should avail the services of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s Municipal Analyst Laboratory to check the quality of water and food,” said the Additional Municipal Commissioner Prajakta Lavangare Verma.


The Municipal Analyst Laboratory dates more than a century old as it was started in 1903 under the Public Health Department of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. In the last 10 years, more than seven lakh water and food samples have been tested at this laboratory. The BMC’s laboratory in Dadar is the only laboratory operated by the civic body for testing food and water samples.


It regularly tests water sent by the BMC’s Water Supply Department. The laboratory is also used to inspect and check the quality of the midday meals provided to schools in Mumbai. Police stations also send certain prohibited items like supari, tobacco and scented tobacco to the laboratory. Around 70,000 tests are conducted every year in the laboratory.


Railways such as the Western Railways, Central Railways and Konkan railways send food items and water samples to the Municipal Analyst Laboratory. Due to the use of advanced equipment and technology, this laboratory has been granted the status of a State Food Laboratory by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The BMC has undertaken a laboratory upgradation project to enable more detailed analysis and additional testing through the laboratory. The BMC ensures that the laboratory is always upgraded and makes sure there is more detailed and additional testing.


Verma said, “From the perspective of citizens’ health, it is essential that both food and water are available in a quality manner. For this purpose, upgrading the laboratory is necessary for conducting more analytical and detailed tests. The objective is to ensure that a laboratory with international-level standards and testing capabilities remains continuously available for Mumbaikars.”


She added, “Facilities for testing food and water are available at very nominal rates in the laboratory. Citizens, housing societies, food-selling establishments, and other commercial establishments should make extensive use of this facility so that the quality of the food and water available with them can be ensured.”

Comments

bottom of page