Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde with Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra Labour Minister Suresh Khade, NCP MLC Shashikant Shinde, BJP MLC Pravin Darekar, BJP MLA Manda Mhatre and others during a programme organised on the 89th birth anniversary of Mathadi leader Annasaheb Patil, at Vashi in Navi Mumbai, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. (PTI Photo)The Maharashtra government has given its nod to hike the salary of police officials deployed in the Naxal-affected Gadchiroli district, Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis said Saturday.
Fadnavis, who attended a district planning committee meeting in Gadchiroli for the holistic development of the region, told reporters that the sensitive Naxal belt holds policing as an integral aspect of planning.
The demand to hike the salary of police personnel serving in Gadchiroli by one-and-half times has been pending before the government for some years.
Fadnavis said, “The government is committed to giving higher salaries to the police deployed in the Naxal-infested Gadchiroli district. Considering the challenges in the district, police officials are entitled to higher salaries and incentives. The posting in Gadchiroli should be perceived as a challenge and not punishment.”
At the same time, the state government will extend all help to the police force by providing them with advanced technology and modern gadgets, said Fadnavis who recently took charge as guardian minister of six districts, including Gadchiroli, in the Vidarbha region.
Referring to the land adjoining the Medigadda dam in the district getting submerged in the rain and causing heaving loss to farmers, Fadnavis said the government would chalk out adequate compensation after evaluating the extent of the damage.
The deputy CM said that the state government would make a concerted effort to promote industrial development, better the livelihood, and generate employment in the region. “The Konsari iron ore mining project will be fast-tracked. The district resources through mining will be utilised as development funds for the holistic growth of the district. The mining projects and their resources are not for earning profits alone or promoting development outside the district. The processing unit for iron ore should be within Gadchiroli district to facilitate local employment,” he said.
Konsari project pegged at Rs 18,000 crore is the first major project in the Gadchiroli district.
A mining corridor will be developed to avoid hurdles and regulate traffic, said the deputy CM and added that under the sub-district plan a medical college, a university and health care centres are also under consideration in Gadchiroli.