Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.The Maharashtra cabinet on Tuesday cleared a proposal to empanel 100 per cent state or Centre-owned companies on turnkey basis to implement projects under the state disaster management plan. On its own part, the state does not have a mechanism to implement natural disaster mitigation as well as rehabilitation measures in the wake of disasters.
On July 9, 2021, the state government had cleared the proposal to design an inclusive action plan for capacity building and preparations as well as to undertake mitigation measures in case of natural disasters. A special project focusing on Konkan in view of the repeated cyclones, heavy rains, and floods was approved in August the same year. It also cleared the proposal to appoint advisors for the implementation of the projects. The state government, however, lacks the mechanism to implement these projects suggested by the advisors.
“We hand over the work to departments such as the Public Works Department. In turn, they get the work done by other agencies or firms. So, the department was of the opinion to rope in state- and Centre-owned companies to speed up the process,” said an official from the Relief and Rehabilitation department.
As per the proposal, the state executive committee formed under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, will be led by the state’s Chief Secretary. The committee will take a final decision on empaneling the companies and publish the Express of Interest for the same. Once empanelled, the companies will be given work by the Relief and Rehabilitation department based on the MoU signed with those companies.