Uddhav Thackeray In view of the upcoming local bodies polls, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government on Wednesday approved a decision to regularise lakhs of gunthewari constructions across the state.
Gunthewari is a traditional method used to measure land in the state. However, as per the Gunthewari Act, the practice of creating small plots of agricultural land in multiple gunthas (1,089 sq ft area) was illegal and hence, carrying out constructions on gunthewari land was also illegal.
The Congress-led government had in 2001 introduced The Maharashtra Gunthewari Development (Regularisation, Upgradation and. Control) Act. It was applicable on areas on the outskirts of a municipal corporation and city boundary limits for regularisation of gunthewari constructions till 2000.
The previous BJP-Shiv Sena government had also brought in a proposal in 2015 to extend the deadline but it did not materialise then. Sources said the proposal placed before the Cabinet on Wednesday was to approve the regularisation of illegal gunthewari constructions till 2015. The deadline was extended till December 31, 2020, following demands by Cabinet members.
Only the deadline has been extended and there is no change in the regularisation criteria, said a source. The MVA government feels that regularisation of gunthewari constructions will help it in the several urban local bodies that would go to polls between now and 2022.
OTHER DECISIONS
1) Government approved solar power for agricultural pumps to provide reliable, cost-effective and daily supply to farmers. Under Centre’s Kusum Mahaabh-iyan, one lakh solar pumps will be set up across state. Of the Rs 1969.5 crore likely to be spent on it, Centre will give Rs 585 crore and state Rs 1,211 crore. Benefic-iary farmers will pay Rs 173 crore.
2) Nod to extend deadline of Maharashtra Electronics Policy, 2016, from April 10, 2021 to March 31, 2023. Government to link state electronics policy with the Centre’s SPECS. The decision will create an eco-system for electronics components and semiconductors, boosting investment and employment in the sector.
3)Nod to signing MoU with Centre for repair of 6,550 km of roads in rural areas.