MM YYEEAARRSS of Marathi language. As the next logical step,...

CHIEF MINISTER IN HANNOVER � INTERVIEW: GOVERNOR CH VIDYASAGAR RAO �WARLI PAINTING � HILL STATIONS

V O L . 4 I S S U E 5 � M AY 2 0 1 5 � ` 5 0 � PA G E S 5 2

MMAAHHAARRAASSHHTTRRAA::

5555 GGLLOORRIIOOUUSS

YYEEAARRSS

To commemorate the inauguration of the State on May 1, 1960, the CelebrationsCommittee issued the Maharashtra Rajya Mahotsav Mudra, bearing a drawing of a laman diva,and a Sanskrit verse, which included a line from the inscription on the goldmohar issued by

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at the time of coronation. Themudrawas struck in gold, silver and nickel.The Government of India also issued a special postmark to commemorate the occasion.

All the incoming and outgoing letters in Bombay City on May 2 were stamped with the mark.

The pencil sketch is by famous artist M.R. Acharekar.

Mark of the State

09INTERVIEWCHVIDYASAGARRAOMaharashtra Governor, Ch.Vidyasagar Rao speaks of theinitiatives taken by the State forvarious sections of society, tomaintain State’s pre-eminentposition and a place for businesses

14FOREIGN VISITDEVELOPMENTFORALLMaharashtra Chief MinisterDevendra Fadnavisvisits Hannover Messe inGermany to enable huge foreigninvestments in the State

20INDUSTRYTHECENTREOFATTRACTIONWith big ticket projects likeMIHAN and industrial hubs likeButibori gaining strength,Nagpur is on the path to becomea global industrial destination

24FACE-TO-FACECHANDRAKANTBACCHU PATILMinister for Cooperation,Marketing and Textiles and PublicWorks, talks about his efforts atempowering the daily lives ofpeople, increase employability

CONTENTSWHAT’S INSIDE

D ISCLA IMER : V IEWS AND OP IN IONS EXPRESSED IN THE MAGAZ INE ARE THOSE OF WR ITERS

30NUMBER ONEBANANACAPITALOF INDIAWith high density planning andsingle crop cultivation, Jalgaonhas built a well organised bananaindustry while recording highestfruit productivity in the country

32WANDERLUSTA SLICEOFNATUREMaharashtra has been atraveller’s inn with destinationsthat personify nature and itsbeauty. Come, fall in love withKhandala, Lonavala, Matheran orPanchgani, this summer!

36CULTURE CURRYART THAT SPEAKSWarli Paintings, themonochromatic tribal expressionsof a cultural milieu andsocial realities are more thanmere designs on walls; theydepict a way of life

38HERITAGEFORTIFICATIONDEMYSTIFIEDUnravel an interesting insight intothe defence mechanism andarchitecture of forts ofDaulatabad, Rajgad and Vijaydurgin Maharashtra

MAHARASHTRA AHEAD � MAY 2015 03

COVER STORY

MAHARASHTRA:55GLORIOUSYEARSA continued pace of progress across all regionsand sectors in past 55 years has establishedthe State become a land of opportunities. Itnow aspires for development not just at home,but globally, says Dilip Chaware

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VOL. 4 ISSUE 5 � MAY 2015 � `50 � PAGES 52

OnMay 1, 1960, the State of Maharashtracame into existence. The number oneState of the country, Maharashtra has

seen unprecedented growth in all spheres andacross all its regions since its inception. Thepioneering role of Maharashtra in industry andservices sectors, its impressive achievements insocial reformation, glorious heritage of fine arts,inclusive character have not just taken the Stateto the premier position, but also established itas a model to follow for others.

The credit of State’s consistent success goes to itsleadership, which worked towards dispensingjustice and bringing development to all.Birthplace of many freedom fighters, socialreformers and national leaders, Maharashtra hasgiven India icons in every sector. To take thislegacy ahead, the current leadership iscommitted to add more chapters to State’ssuccess. The May issue of Maharashtra Aheadrecords the 55 glorious years of Maharashtraand brings the dreams and plans of Hon.Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao and Chief MinisterDevendra Fadnavis for the State.

In his interview, the Maharashtra Governor speaks about the many initiatives theState has taken for various sections of society and encourages people to participatein Swachh Maharashtra Abhiyan and embrace cleanliness. In his address, the ChiefMinister, recalling the words of Martin Luther King, presents his vision onMaharashtra. He has a plan for everyone in the State.

The current issue becomes special as it includes the article on accomplishments ofthe first year of union Government under the leadership of Hon. Prime MinisterNarendra Modiji by the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Talking about the busyyear at the Centre and the many milestones India achieved under Prime Minister’sable leadership, the Chief Minister acknowledges the huge support Maharashtrareceived from him, making the State push its boundaries. The magazine also bringsyou the account of Chief Minister’s latest visits to Hannover, Germany and Tel Aviv,Israel, and the agreements the State had with them.

In other sections, we bring you features on Warli art, construction-led defencemechanism of three Maharashtra forts, amazing hilly destinations in the State whereyou can go this summer, Jalgaon banana and Marathi literature festival in Ghuman,Punjab. We look forward to your feedback on the issue.

Jai Maharashtra!

Manisha Patankar-Mhaiskar

Editor-in-Chief, Maharashtra Ahead, DGIPR

MAHARASHTRATURNS 55!

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFManisha Patankar-Mhaiskar

MANAGING EDITORChandrashekhar Oak

ASSIGNMENT EDITORDevendra Bhujbal

EDITORKirti Pande

EXECUTIVE EDITORKriti Lalla

TEAM CO-ORDINATIONEDITING

Suresh Wandile(Deputy Director)

ADMINISTRATIONDigamber Palve

(Sr. Assistant Director)

SALES AND CIRCULATIONVilas Bodke

(Assistant Director)

MEDIA TRANSASIAASSOCIATE EDITOR

Jyoti Verma

ASSISTANT EDITORPallavi Singh

DEPUTY ART DIRECTORSachin Jain

CHAIRMANJ.S. Uberoi

PRESIDENTXavier Collaco

Maharashtra Ahead is printedon behalf of the Directorate Generalof Information and Public Relations,

Government of Maharashtra,at KALA JYOTHI PROCESS PVT. LTD.

Plot No.W-17 & W-18, MIDC,Taloja Industrial Area,

Taloja-410 208, Navi Mumbai

Letters should be addressed toDirectorate General of Information

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Email:maharashtraahead.dgipr @gmail.com

Please visit the websitehttp://dgipr.maharashtra.gov.in

Directorate General of Informationand Public Relations

A Government of Maharashtra Production

Directorate General of Informationand Public Relations,

Government of Maharashtra

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

Maharashtra, the leading State in India, is thesecond most populous State after UttarPradesh and the third largest State afterRajasthan and Madhya Pradesh in terms of

area. It is the most progressive and richest State in India.The State Government, under the leadership of Chief

Minister Devendra Fadnavis, is determined to perpetuatethe pace of progress across all regions and all sectors, social,financial and industrial. Political stability, which had beeneluding the State for several years, is now firmly in place sothat the leadership can accelerate the process of developmenton its declared plan of action.

When the State of Maharashtra was formed on May 1,1960, the leadership of the day had pledged to dispensejustice to all people. The collective efforts and enlightenedleadership have achieved its continuous progress which hasinspired leaders from other States to emulate its example,thus contributing to the nation’s onward march. Thepioneering role of Maharashtra in industry and servicessectors, its impressive achievements in social reformation, itsglorious heritage of fine arts and its inclusive character havetaken the State to the premier position.

Spread over 307,713 sq km or 9.4 per cent of the total

COVER STORYMAHARASHTRA DAY

MAHARASHTRA:

A continued pace of progressacross all regions and sectors inpast 55 years has established theState become a land ofopportunities. It now aspires fordevelopment not just at home, butglobally, says DDiilliipp CChhaawwaarree

VISION@55

YEARS55 GLORIOUS


(Clockwise from top left) State’s Pride: Pratapgad Fort, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis during World Economic Forum in Davos this year, power network, highway,Mumbai during night, State Police, young girls, MIHAN, and upcoming Chhatrapati Shivaji Memorial in the Arabian Sea (at the centre)

geographical area of India,Maharashtra’s capitalMumbai isthe financial hub of the nation. Were it an independentnation, Maharashtra would be the world’s tenth mostpopulous country, ahead of Mexico. But in terms of GDPmeasured in billion dollars, the State is just close toSingapore, a tiny country. Aware of the reality, leaders ofMaharashtra have strived to enhance its per capita income.But that is just one indicator.

The initiatives in social and political spheres taken byMaharashtra over the past century and a half need a briefmention because they provide a clue to the greatness of thisState. Even before an awakening for political freedom tookplace, initiatives were being taken for social reforms.Jagannath Shankarshet, who took determined steps tomakeMumbai the focus of progress, started the first school for girlsin India inhis ownpremises. Balshastri Jambhekar launchedthe first newspaper inMarathi,Darpan to arouse themassesout of their slumber. Vishnushastri Chiplunkar imbibed thepride of Marathi language. As the next logical step,educational institutions to impart ‘Indian’ education werestarted and are active till today.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the struggle forindependence was led by Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak.On the moderate front, intellectuals like Justice MahadevGovindRanade,GopalKrishnaGokhale, PherozeshahMehtaand Dadabhai Naoroji were spreading the message of self-reliance. Revolutionaries like Vasudeo Balwant Phadke andVinayakDamodar Savarkar were articulating the disturbedsentiments against the alien atrocities by paying back in thesame coin.AcharyaVinobaBhave, the first satyagrahi chosen

byGandhiji, was steeped in Indian philosophy and traditions.In 1942, the call for the Quit India Movement was given atBombay. This was followed by the naval revolt of 1946,ringing the death knell of the British power in India.

As a consequence of the mass movement for SamyuktaMaharashtra, the leadership of India finally decided to grantthe status of a separate entity to Maharashtra. A matureGovernment, committed leaders and fearless bureaucratspropelled the State on a path to progress. But even beforethat, the progressive direction the State was about to takewas becoming evident.Acouple of legislationsmerit attentionin this regard. The Harijans were declared to have an equalright to enter any temple by law, and secondly, the tiller wasmade owner of the farmland on which he worked. The landreformswere later followed by other States.Within a decadeof the formation of the State, a severe drought engulfedmostof its rural areas in its grip. The conscious leadership then

launched the Employment Gua-rantee Scheme, which is nowpart of the national agenda.

Industrial and social infra-structure incepted in those yearshas transformed Maharashtrainto a land of opportunitiestoday.At one time,Maharashtrawas the most industrialisedState and was leading in sectorssuch as chemical and alliedproducts, electrical and non-electrical machinery, textiles,petroleum and allied products

and continues to remain so. Other important industriesinclude metal products, wine, jewellery, pharmaceuticals,engineering goods, machine tools, steel and iron castingsand plastic wares. Main crops include mango, grape,banana, orange, wheat, rice, jowar, bajra and pulses.Information technology is another important sector. Atpresent, Maharashtra is the second largest State to exportsoftware and accounts for more than 30 per cent of thecountry's software exports.

Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust in Navi Mumbai is amongthe busiest ports in India. Chhatrapati Shivaji InternationalAirport inMumbai is one of the busiest airports in theworld.Another feather in the cap of Maharashtra will be theinternational cargo hub, Multi-modal International CargoHub and Airport at Nagpur (MIHAN). The Delhi–MumbaiIndustrial Corridor is poised to change the face ofMaharashtra and the State is making advance preparationsto ensure its passage smoothly.

The topmost ranking of Maharashtra is primarilybecause of Mumbai, which houses the headquarters of mostmajor banks, financial institutions and insurancecompanies. India’s largest stock exchange, the Bombay StockExchange, is the oldest in Asia. The Reserve Bank of India,

06 MAHARASHTRA AHEAD � MAY 2015 M


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LEDBYTHEMASSMOVEMENTFOR SAMYUKTAMAHARASHTRA, THELEADERSHIPOF INDIADECIDED TOGRANTASEPARATE STATUS TOTHEMAHARASHTRA,WHICHWASALREADY IN THEFOREFRONTOFMANYPATHBREAKINGINITIATIVES

Prime Minister of India, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru (centre), unveiling the neonmap of Maharashtra on the momentous occasion of the formation of theState along with the first Maharashtra Chief Minister, Yashwantrao B.Chavan and Governor Sri Prakasa (left) on May 1, 1960

(


State Bank of India and various nationalised and private-sector banks have their main offices in Mumbai.

Mumbai is home for the world’s largest film industry,which is now 100 year old. Innovator Dadasaheb Phalketoiled tomake filmproduction possible in India. TheFilmandTelevision Institute of India at Pune supplies histrionic andtechnical inputs to the film industry, while theNational FilmArchives preserves the glorious past of the celluloid world.Names likeV. Shantaram,B.R. Chopra, Shakti Samanta, RajKapoor, Mehboob Khan and Manmohan Desai will not beforgotten while writing a history of Bollywood.

Before the advent of Bollywood, the stage was the solemedium of public entertainment. Since ages, the Marathistage has been regarded with reverence by the fraternity.The initial period of Marathi theatre was dominated byAnnasaheb Kirloskar and Govind Ballal Deval. They werefollowed by giants like Shripad Krishna Kolhatkar, RamGanesh Gadkari and Kakasaheb Khadilkar who enrichedthe Marathi theatre for decades with their great musicals,invariably transmitting some social message.

While creativity was on its peak, the physical aspect ofprogresswas lookedafter, too.On the infrastructure front, oneof the factors that havemadeMaharashtra the first ranker iselectricity. The State tops in coal-based thermal electricitygeneration and continues to be the largest consumer ofelectricity. Maharashtra is also taking path-breakinginitiatives in solar andwind energyprojects. TheGovernmentunderstands that electricity is an important tool fordevelopment. The energy planners in the State face thechallenge of providinguninterruptedpower supplyandqualityservice as well as to meet the growing demands.As and whenthis happens, the graph of progress of the State will showspectacular results. Concrete steps are being taken to

strengthen the distribution and transmission network inMumbai and acrossMaharashtra.

Another thrust area has been the support provided bythe State Government to the automobile sector. Indian andforeign automobile makers in Maharashtra include TataMotors, Mahindra & Mahindra, Bajaj Auto, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, SkodaAuto, Fiat and Volkswagen. Many moreleading brands are expected to join this list. It is estimatedthat the auto sector’s share in the State economy is of

around 9 per cent.Maharashtra can boast of

many leading academic insti-tutions. These include theVeermata Jijabai TechnologicalInstitute, SardarPatel College ofEngineering and the UniversityDepartment ofChemical Techno-logy in Mumbai. In other parts,the College of Engineering andFergusson College Pune, theGovernment Colleges of Engi-neering at Aurangabad, Amara-vati and Karad, Shri Guru

Gobind Singhji Institute of Engineering and Technology,Nanded,WalchandEngineeringCollege at Sangli, and a bevyof top management institutions turn out abundant technicalhuman resource every year.

There are some outstanding institutions, which are theenvy of other States. The Tata Institute of FundamentalResearch and the BhabhaAtomic Research Centre scout forand develop scientific genius. The National DefenceAcademy near Pune trains the youngsters who later guardour borders, the Armed Forces Medical College in Pune

THEINDUSTRIALANDSOCIALINFRASTRUCTUREINCEPTED IN THEEARLY YEARSOFMAHARASHTRA’SFORMATIONHAS TRANSFORMEDTHE STATEINTOA LANDOFOPPORTUNITIESFORALL TODAY

(Clockwise from top left) Dams, wildlife, infrastructure, agriculture and manufacturing are few main sectors of the State

VISION@55



produces the medical personnel which take care of thedefence forces. TheMilitaryNursing College affiliated to theAFMC ranks among the top nursing colleges in the world.The Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics at Pune isamong the most reputed private think-tanks in India.

University of Nagpur looks after the engineering, scienceand other colleges in Vidarbha. The Visvesvaraya NationalInstitute of Technology is one of the first six RegionalEngineering Colleges started in India. The National FireCollege at Nagpur is another unique institution. Thegeographical centre of India lies atNagpur. Theheadquartersof Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and an important locationfor the Dalit Buddhist movement, Nagpur was chosen byDr. B.R.Ambedkar to joinBuddhismalongwithhis followers.

Gudi Padwa, Diwali, Rangapanchami, Gokulashtamiand Ganeshotsav are some of the festivals celebrated inMaharashtra with joy and enthusiasm. Ganeshotsav is thebiggest public festival in the world and literally millions ofpeople, irrespective of their religion, participate in itscelebration. The other big public festival in Maharashtra iswhen lakhs of people walk hundreds of kilometers toPandharpur for the pilgrimage in the month of Ashadh.

Maharashtra has producedmany saints. They representall castes. Some of the idols of the Bhakti sect areDnyaneshwar, Eknath, Tukaram, Namdev, Gora Kumbhar,Samarth Ramdas, Chokha Mela, Savata Mali and Janabai,Kanhopatra, Sakhubai or Soyarabai. Pilgrimages to SaiBabaof Shirdi, Gajanan Maharaj of Shegaon and many otherscontinue to attract hordes of devotees throughout the year.

In 1708, Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, cametoNanded andmade it his permanent abode. He proclaimedhimself the last living Guru and established the GuruGranth Sahib as the eternal Guru of the Sikhs.Amonumenthas been constructed at place where he breathed his last.Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s endowment saw the construction ofa beautiful Gurudwara at Nanded in around 1835.

Maharashtra has a large number of hill, land and seaforts, which have played an important role in the State’shistory. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj concentrated oncapturing strategic forts from the Mughals and developedsome of his own. The Maratha empire expanded because thefortswereunder its command. Some important forts inMaha-

rashtra areSinhgad,Raigad,Vijaydurg, Sindhudurg, Pratap-gad and Torna. The Battle of Attock took place on April 28,1758 between the Maratha forces and the Durrani empire.TheMarathaswon the battle and capturedAttock.OnMay8,1758, the Marathas defeated Durrani forces in the Battle ofPeshawar and captured the city. Marathas had now reachedtheAfghanistanborder.Chhatrapati ShivajiMaharaj’s dreamof ‘Hindavi Swaraj’had finallymaterialised.Bravery, supremesacrifice and have remained the hallmarks of Maharashtra.

All along, women have been given a revered place inState’s history. Chhatrapati ShivajiMaharaj’smother Jijabaiis the epitome of a model mother. Due to the upbringingunder her strict eye, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj laterreleased the daughter-in-law of the Subedar of Kalyan byhonouring her. Savitribai Phule suffered humiliation for

teaching girl students but didnot give up. Bharat RatnaDhondo Keshav Karve made ithis life mission to uplift thedestitute women. AnandibaiJoshiwas the firstwomandoctorin all of Asia. In the freedomstruggle, the contribution ofwomen was noteworthy.Maharashtra is the first State toprovide for 50 per cent of theseats for women in local bodies.The highest constitutional postin India was graced by a

daughter of Maharashtra, Pratibha Patil.There are many first to Maharashtra’s credit. This was

the first State to introduce the Panchayati Raj System, thefirst to implement the Employment Guarantee Scheme, thepioneer in legislating the Right to Information. In everyfield of public life, Maharashtra has made its markinvariably. The Constitution of India was the handiwork ofDr. B.R.Ambedkar. The first IndianGovernor of the RBIwasC.D. Deshmukh. The first Speaker of the Lok Sabha wasGanesh Vasudev Mavlankar. The list is almost endless.

On the occasion of completion of 55 years of its formation,Maharashtra is poised to scale newer heights. Its people, itshistory and its mindset will make this possible.

THESTATE ISTAKING PATH-BREAKINGINITIATIVES INSOLAR ANDWINDENERGY PROJECTS.IT TOPS IN COAL-BASED THERMALELECTRICITYGENERATION ANDIS THE LARGESTCONSUMER OFELECTRICITY

Sindhudurg Fort in the Konkan region of Maharashtra, south of Mumbai

I


In an interview with Abhay Mokashi, MaharashtraGovernor, Ch. Vidyasagar Rao speaks about variousinitiatives the State has undertaken for all sections ofsociety, to maintain State’s pre-eminent position and

to bolster solidifying its position as a global destination ofchoice for businesses.On the occasion ofMaharashtraDay, theGovernor connects with people of Maharashtra, especially itsyouth to emphasise the importance of cleanliness, encouragesthem to come forward and participate in Swachh Maha-rashtra Abhiyan. Excerpts from the interview:

Q. How do you look at Maharashtra Day?A.Maharashtra Day is an important occasion for everybodyin the State. It is a time to celebrate the formation of theState and to show to the world the achievements of

Maharashtra. Maharashtra is privileged that great peoplehave been born here. It is a land of saints, social reformersand great women. Maharashtra is the birthplace of SantTukaram, Dnyaneshwar, Gadge Baba, Tukdoji Maharaj…the list is long. It is the land of social reformers like JotibaPhule, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and others. People in AndhraPradesh and Telangana were not aware so much aboutJotiba Phule, but now I see several statues of this greatmanall over these States. I am personally so impressed by thecontribution of Sant Gadge Baba in terms of hygiene andcleanliness that I have recently translated his shortbiography into Telugu and it will be published soon.Biographies of many great personalities fromMaharashtrashould be translated to other languages.

Q. Howwould you evaluate State’s water situation?A. Irrigation is very important, as many people depend onagriculture for their livelihood. I find there is greatimbalance in the irrigation system in different regions of theState. This imbalance has to be removed and that is possible.I have been holding meetings with different sections ofsociety, including experts in irrigation, who tell me thatwithout going for big dams, we can irrigate the State in a

better way by construction ofcheck dams. Such dams arecheaper to build and do notaffect the environment. Take theexample of Marathwada; it ispossible to construct several checkdams to irrigate the land. I amsure the people will participatein such projects.

Drinking water is anothermajor problem in the State. It issad that water has to be suppliedto several villages by tankersthroughout the year. TheGovernment will handle the issueon a priority basis and it is possibleto provide drinking water to theentire State.

Q. What would you say aboutthe condition of tribals?

“FIVEPERCENTOF THE TRIBALBUDGET IS NOWHANDEDOVER TOGRAMSABHAS TODECIDEONTRIBALWELFARE.WEHAVEALSOGIVEN THEMACCESS TO TENDULEAVESANDBAMBOOONWHICHMANY TRIBALSDEPEND”

VISION@55

“Cleanlinessmust comewithreforms and better infrastructure”

INTERVIEW Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao

A. I have aConstitutional obligation for thewelfare of tribalsin the Scheduled Areas. I am concerned about the status ofthe tribals in the State and want their well-being. On myrecommendation five per cent of the Tribal Sub Plan fundsare now handed over to the Gram Panchayats in theScheduled Areas to be used for the welfare of the villages.The total Tribal budget is `1,600 crore and five per cent ofthat is a substantial amount. AGovernment order has beenalready issued in this context.

It is sad that even after 18 years of the introduction of thePanchayat (Extension to ScheduledAreas) Act, rules underthe Act were not framed. I held meetings with the seniorofficials of the State and asked them how many of the 29powers under PESA have been delegated to the GramSabhas/Panchayats and I was told that only a few have beendelegated. I want the villages to have self-rule and be self-reliant through the Gram Sabhas/Panchayats.

The Gram Sabhas have rights over the forest produceand we have now given them access to minor forest produceincluding tendu leaves, bamboo and fishing. This has helpedthem in a bigway, as the survival ofmany tribals depends onthese products. In order to fight malnourishment, I havesuggested that the tribal boys and girls be given a glassof milk and one egg every day and the Tribal WelfareDepartment is working on it.

What I have noticed is that the tribals need an iconicleader. All other communities have one leader or the other,but the tribals do not have any person to look up to drawinspiration for their welfare. There were tribal leaders likeBirsa Munda and Komaram Bheem in different parts ofthe country. On a recent visit to Nandurbar, I came toknow of a freedom struggle of tribals against the Britishin the Satpuda region. Very few people know about thisfreedom struggle in which theBritish brutally killed severaltribals at a place calledRavlapani. The British had com-mitted atrocities on the tribalsof Ravlapani in Nandurbardistrict, who were fighting forIndia’s freedom. The incidentis similar to the JalianwalaBagh incident.

I have decided to create amemorial of the freedomstruggle at Ravlapani. I havecontacted a sculptor, asked himto visit the place and make avisual representation of theepic freedom struggle. Also,Hirabai, a tribal of Chandrapurdistrict, was a great FreedomFighter and efforts are beingmade to highlight her historic

participation in the freedommovement.

Q. How can Maharashtratourism be promoted?A.Mumbai is the financial capitalof India andwill continue to do so.But apart from that there areseveral tourist spots in Maha-rashtra; we need to promote theseplaces. The Japanese visitChaityabhoomi and are showinggreat interest in the Dr.BabasahebAmbedkar’s memorialthat is comingup in the InduMillscompound. We also have theBuddhist caves. The statute ofChhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj,which is to comeup in theArabianSea is bound to be a touristattraction. People from Japan, Sri

Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, the U.S., the U.K. and othercountries visit the Dragon Palace Temple at Kamptee nearNagpur. It is recognised as an International PeaceCentre andcan be promoted as a great tourist centre. We need toencourage the dalit groups to promote these places.

Recently, the Governor of the Wakayama Prefecture ofJapanmetme at Raj Bhavan during his visit to the State. Hesaid that a statue of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar is beinginstalled at Koyasan inWakayama Prefecture of Japan, andthat Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will be visiting theplace to unveil the statue. I am sure hundreds of people fromIndia will love to visit Japan to see the statue. We haveseveral forts, beachesand forests amongotherplaces of touristattraction. Maharashtra has a coastline of 720 km and it hasa great potential of being promoted for tourism.

There is a proposal to start navigation from Nashik toNanded on the Godavari river. A study on the proposal isbeing carried out. Both, Nashik and Nanded are towns ofreligious importance and the water transport will help alarge number of people. Aurangabad lies in between the twoplaces where a large number of tourists, especially theJapanese visit to go toAjanta andEllora. The navigationwillboost tourism tremendously. Moreover, it was decided at theWorldWater Forumheld inKyoto to encourage inlandwatertransport and India is a signatory to the resolution. TheNashik–Nanded water transport will be part of that. It willalso benefit people on both sides of the stream.

Q. How do you rate the State in terms of agriculture?A. In terms of agriculture, I am confident that in the comingyears, Maharashtra will be in the forefront, with itsagriculture and horticulture produce going up. I am sure weshall be exporting fruits in a big way in the near future. In


“I AMPERSONALLY SOIMPRESSEDBY THECONTRIBUTIONOFSANTGADGEBABAIN TERMSOFHYGIENEANDCLEANLINESS THAT IHAVE TRANSLATEDHIS BIOGRAPHYINTO TELUGU,ANDITWILL BEPUBLISHED SOON”

o

“WHILEIMPLEMENTINGSWACHHMAHARASHTRAABHIYAN,WESHOULDGIVEEMPHASISONBRINGINGREFORMSIN RELATEDAREAS.WE SHOULDALSO FOCUSONDEVELOPINGOURINFRASTRUCTURE”

COVER STORYMAHARASHTRA DAY V


order to boost the agricultural and horticultural production,we need to shift from chemical fertilisers to organic ones.

Q. There is criticism thatMaharashtra has a short fallof power. Your comments.A.Wewill havemore power in coming years. General Electricis going to set up a plant here. The State will also go for solarenergy in a big way. The Raj Bhavan has a solar power plantin Mumbai. We are also installing solar power plant inPune and within six months, we will be able to generatesurplus power that would contribute to the common grid.

Q. Tell us about the SwachhMaharashtraAbhiyan.A. Based on Prime Minister’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, aSwachh Maharashtra programme will be launched. Whileimplementing the programme,we should also give emphasison bringing reforms in related areas.Alongwith cleanliness,we should develop our infrastructure and carry out reformsto make the drive successful. The drive is also benefitting usin other ways. For instance, I had gone to J.J. Hospitalalongwith brand ambassador of theAbhiyan,NitaAmbani tolaunch the cleanliness drive. After the programme, I had ameetingwithDeanDr. T. P. Lahane, BMCCommissioner andChief Secretary. See how one good thing helps another. Theissue of how heritage tag was hindering the development of

J.J. Hospital came up. A proposal for reconstruction of thehospital building to accommodate more patients waspending, as the heritage committee had not given clearance.People from all over the State come to this hospital fortreatment, and its capacity needs to be increased. Withoutdelay, the Government decided to increase the floors of thepresent building and create 1,000 extra beds. The foundationstone of that project will be laid soon.

Speaking about the Swachh Maharashtra Abhiyan, Imust appreciate the amazing work done by film starMakarand Anaspure. He stayed in village Gogalgaon,Ahmednagar, for over three weeks as part of the cleanlinessdrive and changed the face of the village. Participation ofpeople is very important in such projects, and people doparticipate. Moreover, Sant Gadge Baba had shown us theway to cleanliness decades ago. Recently, I attended a schoolprogramme organised by Anjuman-I-Islam. I told the schoolauthorities to launch a massive cleanliness programme, andthat I would come to launch the same. All over the State,school childrenare being told about the importance ofwashinghands and I am happy to say thatmost school children in theState have made it a habit to wash their hands, especiallybefore eating anything.Astudy has shown that nearly 40 percent school children in aneighbouring country becomevictimsof cholera and dysentery and that the simple act of handwashing could reduce the proportion of diarrhoeal diseases.

Q. What do you look at the youth in Maharashtra?A. I have tremendous faith in the youth of the State. Theycan work wonders here. They need to participate in theSwachh Maharashtra Abhiyan in a big way. I also believethat they should be given NCC training. Let them have theexperience of handling a .303 bore gun. Even participationin NSS needs to be increased. We need to ensure thatexaminations are held on time and results declared instipulated time.All these issues have been discussed at themeeting of Joint Board of Vice-Chancellors of Universitiesin Maharashtra.

Q.Are women safe in Maharashtra?A. I amdeeply concerned about the fallingmale–female ratioin the State. I am glad to see that the number of women per1,000 men is higher in most tribal areas, but it is sad that inthe areas with educated population, the number is far low.Though the State has been successful in banningamniocentesis, the number of women is falling. At the sametime, I am happy that as compared to many other States,women are safer in Maharashtra.

Q. Where does Make in Maharashtra stand?A. The Government has takenmany steps to makeMumbaia global financial centre.WithMake inMaharashtra, we aregettingmore foreign investment, helping the State retain itspre-eminent position. I am sure it will continue to do so.

VISION@55

Today while I try to present my vision on Maha-rashtra, I vividly remember the words of MartinLuther King’s ‘I have a dream’. Just as he hadpursued a dream for the United States, all of you

have pursued your dreams about the future ofMaharashtra.I also have carried a similar dream.

Before the elections I had presented a Vision Document,and I amhappy to say thatwhatever point of viewwehad andthe dreams we have seen while we were in Opposition, wehave started to fulfill those dreams after coming to power.Today, the contribution of agriculture in the GDP ofMaharashtra is just 10per cent, but thosewhodepend on it foremploymentmake 50 per cent of State’s population. Itmeans,there is a huge gap between those who depend on agricultureand the rest of the State. This disparity is the biggestchallenge. The dependence on agriculture has increased, asthe employability in other sectors is absent or the skillsrequired for these sectors are not available. While the GDPgrowth ofMaharashtra is 8 to 10per cent, agricultural growthis in negative. Themain reason for this is the lack of irrigationfacilities and drought-affected regions.

As forMaharashtra, we have limits on what is known asflow irrigation. We can maximise irrigation to around 40 to50 per cent.With this, the rest of the area will remain as drylands. Even while thousands of crores of rupees have beenspent during the last few years, we have been able to bringonly 17 per cent of the land under irrigation. In the dry landagriculture, only 25 per cent Rabi crop is taken incomparison to Kharif. Forty per cent of the large dams in thecountry are located in Maharashtra, but these too havelimitations.What all of these suggest is thatwe need to thinkdifferently when it comes to irrigation.

An option is to go for Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan. Underthe scheme, 14 current water conservation schemes will beintegratedwith their planning carried out under theDistrictCollector. The Government is aiming at making 5,000villages water sufficient every year. This scheme has beendrafted keeping inmind thewatershed areas. Implementingdifferent patterns for different locations are beingconsidered. Each village is encouraged to draft its own planand implement the same. The Government will helpwherever required, but the success of the work will dependon public participation. Contractors will be supportedwhenever needed, but their bills will only be paid if theGram Sabha sanctions the works.

This year, we have started the Jalyukta ShivarAbhiyanin 6,000 villages.Work in 2,500 villages has actually started.It is important to make the villages water sufficient. Hence,we are emphasising activation of some old schemes as well.Like, it is easier to repair an old seepage lake. Activeparticipation from some corporate houseswill also be sought.The farmer will become prosperous through thisdecentralisedwater resource. Onewill then turn attention tomultiple crops. The farmers are in bad shape due to their

M


d

Maharashtra,

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis gave alecture on the subject of “Maharashtra in mydreams” at Vasant Vyakhyanmala, thetraditional annual spring lecture series, inPune. The series was started by LokmanyaTilak and Justice M.G. Ranade in the19th century. Excerpts from the lecture:

dream”the only

“Prosperous

�IF AN INDUSTRY ISSTABLE ANDREGISTERS

GROWTH, THESTATE WILL ALSOPROGRESS. FOR

THIS TO HAPPEN,WE WILL HAVE TO

MAKE EFFORTS FORREDUCING THE

TARIFF FORDOMESTIC

CONSUMERS

�

ADDRESS Devendra Fadnavis


dependence on a single crop. This needs to be changed.In order to make agriculture sustainable, farmers need

to get perennial electricity. It is essential to provide themwith solar agricultural pumps. These pumps will helpfarmers get electricity during the day, and will benefit theGovernment in long run. While this is implemented, thereis an issue of agricultural product pricing. Agriculturalproduce does not get the right price. It is thus necessary toturn to agro-processing industries. I recently visited WorldEconomic Forum at Davos. During discussions there, we

realised the importance of a value chain. Accordingly, theState took the initiative to set up a value chain. Under this,the agro-processing industry will provide seeds to farmersand purchase the produce at an appropriate rate. Now, 5lakh farmers have joined the chain. The target is to take thenumber to 25 lakh.

Basic investment in agriculture is also essential. For this,we had a meeting with NABARD and other banks. We havetold them to provide loans for basic investments.At present,we are giving `8 lakh crore for crop loans. The Governmentismulling on the issuewhether 25 per cent of this could go to

agricultural development. As Isaid earlier, employment for halfof State’s population depends onagriculture. It is necessary tobring this to 35 per cent. Theremaining 15 per centwill have tobe provided new employmentopportunities. For this to happen,we need to make skill-basedtraining available.

India is seen as world’syoungest nation. But we mustprovide work to these younghands. The Prime Minister hasalready given the slogan of ‘Makein India’. Now, the world isanxiously looking at India and atMaharashtra with hopes. Acompany like Bosch is going toundertake 25 Industrial TrainingInstitutes. The students trainedat these centres will later get jobsfrom the company and others likeit. At present, electricity rates inMaharashtra are comparativelyhigher than other States. We aremaking efforts towards reducingindustrial electricity rates by `1to `1.50. If an industry is stableand registers growth, the Statewill also progress. For this tohappen, we will have to makeefforts for reducing the electricity

tariff for domestic consumers. While at this, we shall alsobring Services Guarantee Act for a worthy and transparentadministration. Through this Act, the people will bebestowed with fundamental right of getting service.

With a view to clamp the education czars, a TheMaharashtra Educational Institutions (Regulation of Fee)Act will be implemented. This will prevent charging ofexorbitant tuition fees. This is a people’s State. We care forthe confidence people have bestowed on us. OurGovernmentis dedicated to develop the State.

AAGGRRIICCUULLTTUURREEHalf of the population ofthe State is dependenton Agriculture. Hence,perennial developmentof agriculture isessential. ThroughJalyukta Shivar Abhiyan,we have taken stepstowards perennialdevelopment ofagriculture. EDUCATIONProliferation ofeducation should notlead to its commerciali -sation. To ensure thatparents are not undulyharmed financially whilepaying tuition fees, astrict Act has been madeand its implementationwill be carried outwith full force. MAKE INMAHARASHTRAOn the national-level,Hon. Prime MinsterNarendra Modiji hasgiven the slogan of‘Make in India’. On thesame lines and toencourage industries tocome to the State andprovide employment,we have launchedthe programme, Makein Maharashtra.

VISION@55

Morethan half of Maharashtra’s popu-lation is under 25 and the same isalso technically skilled. In order tobring employment to all of them and

to maximise national production by buildingefficient human resources, the Make in Indiaprogramme was announced by the Centre. Theeffort is aimed at enhancing not just investment inthe State, but also to reach the target of Make inMaharashtra. It is thus essential for the State todiscuss the programme with various countries

across the globe, such as Germany. Around 300 German engineeringcompanies such as Volkswagen, Bosch, Thyssenkrupp, Mercedes,Daimler, Audi and others already have their operations inMaharashtra.To bolster this association, the State leadership—Chief MinisterDevendra Fadnavis and Minister for Industries, Subhash Desai—led adelegation to Germany recently.

The occasionwas to attendHannoverMesse,Germany—world’s largestindustrial trade fair. Organised from April 13 to 17, the fair was jointlyinaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German ChancellorAngelaMerkel.Maharashtra had already garnered good response atWorldEconomic ForumatDavos earlier this year. International companies were


FOREIGN VISITHANNOVER, GERMANY

DEVELOPMENT FOR ALLChief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visits Germany to promote Maharashtra andattend the five-day Hannover Messe, jointly inaugurated by Prime Minister NarendraModi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. A report by AArrcchhaannaa SShhaammbbhhaarrkkaarr

(From top) Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in a fighter plane made by SAAB and with Maharashtra delegation and SAAB team members in Germany

seen interested in expanding their ventures in the State due to thechanging scenario.

Travelling for 12 hours from Mumbai to Frankfurt and then toHannover, theMaharashtra delegationwas received by the fair organiserswith enthusiasm. Industrialists from the State who were present for thereception of the delegation expressed satisfactionwith the cooperation theywere getting from the Government for setting up business in the State.

At the fair, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the attractiveMaharashtra stall, named Magnetic Maharashtra, and talked about theprogress of German companies in Maharashtra. He also invited GermanChancellor Angela Merkel to visit the State. The invitation extended bythe PrimeMinister of India was no less than an honour for Maharashtra.It alsomade the job easier for ChiefMinister Devendra Fadnavis, who ledhis delegation with a firm conviction that if India’s development rate hasto be raised to 8 per cent, Indian States need to play the role of incomegrowth engines taking their development rate to 10 per cent.

Maharashtra was the only State from India which had created an openplatform for investors at theHannoverMesse.Over 200Germanand Indianindustrial groups participated in the event. Instead of verbose promises,information onpractical initiatives by theGovernmentwas presented to theaudience. The issues for which Mercedes Benz had to fight for a year werecleared by the Government in 15 days. The investment from Schindler was

held up due to interpretation issues of anAct. The State Government decided tobring in amendments in the Act. Thisdecision was not for the benefit of aparticular company, but for removing theflaws indrafting theAct. These andmanysteps—undertaken during 11 months ofthe Union Government and five monthsof the State Government—helped thebusiness world experience affinity forboth the Governments. The informationon the proactive decision-making process

of the State Government impressed everyone present.During the visit, the State delegation met representatives of many

international companies. It also received first-hand information on theirset-ups. Many companies admired the initiatives and remedial measurestaken under Maharashtra’s new ‘ease of doing business’ policy andexpressed satisfaction. In one of the sessions, informationwas collected onsome experiments in the area of hydroelectric energy. The Chief Ministertoo received information on how hydroelectric generators could beproduced with rivers in villages and how electricity could be generated atthe village level. He saw a demonstration of how a robot could be trainedto make production centres smarter.

An objective of the Hannover fair was to make efforts towardsaccelerating production by coordinatingmanufacturingwith InformationTechnology. Some of the companies presented information on efforts beingmade for complementing human skills with robotics. The Chief Ministerdiscussed it with ABB—a major company in this field—which showedinterest in establishing a robotics training centre at Nagpur.

One of the major achievements for the State at Hannover was theencouraging response for investments at various levels by Volkswagen, aglobal leader in automobiles. Mahesh Kodumudi, CEO, Volkswagen India,

M


We welcomecompaniesthat would like

to start operationsat Vidarbha andMarathwada. Theforeign investmentcoming to theState must bringmaximum benefitsto rural areas”

Meet ‘n’ greet: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnaviswith delegates from various countries and industry heads as partof his visit to the industrial trade fair at Hannover, Germany

16 MAHARASHTRA AHEAD � MAY 2015

praised Maharashtra’s initiatives such asaccelerated permissions for electricity, land andenvironment for companies,whichwish to arrive inthe State. Themeetings also aimed at encouragingcompanies like Volkswagen and Mercedes tomanufacture spare parts through small andmedium enterprises in the State.

Efforts are also being made for training ofavailable skilled manpower for enhancement ofindustrial areas. Bosch provided a solution to theneed and agreed to train students of IndustrialTraining Institutes (ITIs) inMaharashtra. Bosch,which has production centres located in Pune andNashik, also promised to provide employment tothe trained students. Chief Executive Officer,Bosch India, Saumitra Bhattacharjee gave thisassurance. A similar request made to Volkswagenwas accepted by its senior member of the Board ofDirectors, Thomas Ulbrich.Representatives from Thyssenkrupp, Davva,

KukaRobotics,Woko and others were also presentat the meeting. The Chief Minister promised thatobstacles in investments at the State at all levelswill be removed. While encouraging investmentsin Maharashtra, the delegation shared that afacilitation and coordination centre has been setup by Maharashtra Industrial DevelopmentCorporation to help those interested.Two acres of land was provided on behalf of

the Government to SQS, an IT company. It plansto expand in Maharashtra and provide 2,000more job opportunities. Devendra Fadnavis andSubhash Desai handed over the consent letter tothe company during the conference.The fair also witnessed dialogues with com-

panies based in other European countries such as

Sweden. Discussions on various levels were conducted with Swedishcompany, SAABGroup, which deals in air security equipment, fighter andlight combat vehicles, and others. Visit to their Linkoping plant was alsoorganised. India’s Bharat Forge is a major supplier to SAAB. Tele-communication giant Ericsson showed interest in investment to the tuneof `300 crore at Pune. In other meetings, it was decided to sign a contractwith the company for sale of furniture and textile items produced by smallandmedium enterprises in the State andWomen Self Help Groups.TheSwedish Indian InvestorsGroup brought to delegation’s notice that

manySwedish companies are doingwell inMaharashtra andhavemade anappeal for creation of a platform so that cooperation between Sweden and

Maharashtra can be extended andexpanded.Companieswere encouraged tostart set-ups at Aurangabad, Nagpur,Amravati and other cities.“Wewelcome companies thatwould like tostart operations at Vidarbha andMarathwada. The foreign investmentcoming to the Statemust bringmaximumbenefits to rural areas. The need of thehour is to encourage agro-industries. Avalue chain for agricultural produce isbeing created. Good farming, perennial

irrigation and markets for the produce will boost farmers’ morale, saidDevendra Fadnavis. “Since half of the people associated with agricultureproduce only 10 per cent of the output, it is necessary that some of the peopleassociated move to other sectors. We will make efforts to see that they areemployed in the companies in their own area and attain financialprosperity,” he added.A result of the tour was the admiration Maharashtra received in

terms of interest and investment. It also proves that the Indian economyis entering a new era where everyone has the opportunity to grow.“Devendra Fadnavis must have been cast in a German engineeringmodule because he is very efficient, trustworthy and ever ready,”commented eminent film actor Vivek Oberoi, who unexpectedly visitedthe India Investor Conference at Hannover Messe.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis with trade fair representatives at Hannover, Germany

Post ourvisit to Davos,we decided

to create a valuechain for agriculturalproduce. Goodfarming, perennialirrigation andmarkets for producewill boost moraleof farmers”

FOREIGN VISITHANNOVER, GERMANY

Chief Minister of Maharashtra, DevendraFadnavis was in Israel for a three-dayvisit to explore the possibilities ofcollaborations with the nation in

agriculture, crisis management and to attractforeign investments. During his tour, he attendedthe symposium on India–Israel collaboration forMake in Maharashtra and participated inAgritech Israel 2015, the world’s most importantexhibition in the field of agriculture technologies.He also explored the possibilities of collaborationwith Tel Aviv Municipality, focusing on emergencypreparations and crisis management technologies,and with cancer hospitals.

Devendra Fadnavis had meetings with IsraeliPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, IsraeliAgriculture Minister Yair Shamir, senior officialsfrom various ministries, heads of leading ITcompanies and firms specialising in dripirrigation, and visited research institutes. He alsocalled upon Former Prime Minister and Presidentof Israel, Nobel laureate Shimon Peres.

AGRARIAN CRISISAgritech is the largest global agricultural techno-

logy exhibition in which countries participate to seek cutting-edgeagriculture and water use technologies. The Chief Minister inauguratedthe stall of Nan Dan Jain Irrigation, which is a partnership projectbetween Israeli drip irrigation manufacturer, Nan-Dan and India’s JainIrrigation. The project is part of Make in Maharashtra, as the company isnow exporting over $30 million of automated irrigation systemsmanufactured in Jalgaon to the world.

Israel’s unique agriculture techniques,which give “more crop per drop” haveimpressed Devendra Fadnavis. “We notonly want to import technologies, but alsowant to develop these in Maharashtra.That is what ‘Make in India’ and ‘Make inMaharashtra’ stand for. We appreciateIsrael’s ‘more crop per drop’ and lookforward for technological collaborationsfor such initiatives,” he said.In his address, Israeli Prime Minister

Benjamin Netanyahu agreed for a collaboration with Maharashtra infield of agriculture, especially towards targeting agrarian crisis. He alsoextended cooperation in the field of manufacturing, internal security andcyber security, and support for creating Smart Cities.

A delegation from Israel is likely to visit Yavatmal and Osmanabaddistricts that had been reeling under agrarian crisis for the last 15 yearsdue to drought and periodical hailstorms. Devendra Fadnavis said,


OVERVIEWISRAEL VISIT

Jethro andDemeterhave decided

to send a team ofexperts to Yavatmaland Osmanabadto prepare an actionplan that wouldhelp in addressingthe issue offarmer suicides”

CUTTING-EDGE ALLIANCEDuring his visit to Israel, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis holds talks to getMaharashtra Israeli agriculture technology to improve farm incomes and reduce theagrarian distress faced by Vidarbha farmers. A report by KKiirrttii PPaannddee

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Israeli Agriculture Minister Yair Shamir (fourth from left) inaugurate Agritech 2015 in Tel Aviv, Israel


bition & Conference 2015 had around100 Indian companies collaboratingwith Israeli companies for the ‘Make inMaharashtra, In Collaboration withIsrael’ initiative. On the occasion,Devendra Fadnavis lauded Israel formaking the best use of scarce waterresources for agriculture and setting anexample, and invited the companiesthere to invest in Maharashtra. Heassured that through the Maharashtra

Industrial Development Corporation, efforts would be made to set up aspecial Israel Industrial Zone for the benefit of Israeli companies settingup ventures in the State.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has also offered to set up anIndia–Israel industrial park inMaharashtra, expecting the collaborationto take the bilateral ties of India and Israel to the next level. In hisaddress at the India–Israel collaboration for Make in Maharashtrasymposium, held at the Tel AvivUniversity, he describedMaharashtra as“the powerhouse of India”. He also sought to bring in defence investmentin the State.

“I have urged the Peres Centre for Peace, foundedby Shimon Peres, to help districts inMaharashtrain tackling the agriculture crisis that leads tofarmer suicides,” adding, “Jethro and Demeterhave decided to send a team of experts to visitthe districts to prepare an action plan that wouldbe adaptable to domestic conditions and help inaddressing the issue.”

Emphasising on the importance of dripirrigation, the Chief Minister said, “In the nextthree years, sugarcane (crop) in the State shall beunder drip irrigation. Besides, Jain Irrigation andFinolex (companies into drip irrigation) that arealready there, we have asked Netafim to start aproduction unit in Maharashtra.”

SMART CITIESDevendra Fadnavis met Tel Aviv Mayor RonHuldai during the visit. Both the leaders agreedto cooperate in building smart cities and explorethe Indian IT potential to increase efficiency ofsmart urban solutions. The Chief Minister wasbriefed by Tel AvivMayor and his team of expertson the concept and implementation of the SmartCity project in Tel Aviv, which was adjudgedWorld’s Smartest City at the Smart City ExpoWorld Congress in 2014.

The Smart Cities makeover would be under-taken in partnership with Israel. Acknowledgingthat apart from Mumbai, rest of the cities wouldrequire a lot of upgradation to meet the “worldclass” status, Devendra Fadnavis asserted, “I amcommitted to transform the face of Maharashtra.And we will have to begin with smartening of thetop cities, followed by two-tier and three-tier citiesin phases in coming years.”

Both sides agreed to cooperate and facilitate inexchange of informationandbest practices. Someofthe areas that were outlined for cooperation arecommunity outreach and participation through useof social media and open data, online municipalservices, traffic and parking management throughIT, security and emergencies, promoting a Start-upCity and youth entrepreneurship, green construc-tion and rational land use to create an appealingurban environment. Ron Huldai invited Maha-rashtra to participate in the Tel Aviv InnovationFestival (September 6-7) to understand the role ofinnovation in building smart cities. DevendraFadnavis also invitedRonHuldai toMaharashtra topromote the friendship between India and Israel.

BOOST TO INDUSTRYThe three-day 19th International Agritech Exhi-

(From top) Devendra Fadnavis with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amd whilesigning an MoU with Isreal during the visit

OVERVIEWISRAEL VISIT

I amcommitted totransform the

face of Maharashtra.And we will haveto begin withsmartening of the topcities, followed bytwo-tier and three-tier cities in phasesin coming years”

of 130 species of trees at the Raj Bhavan, of whichfive belong to the category of rare species. Theseinclude surangi, paper tree, tabebuia chrysanthia,cassia grandish and gorakh chinch. Whileratangunj (927 trees), gulmohur (575), bhend (303),copper pod (279) and coconut (271) top the chart, 23species, including the all spice tree, arjun, bael,

balsam, bismarckia palm,are at the bottom, with justone tree each.

The lone gorakh chinchtree is located next to thebanquet hall of the RajBhavan. Though the heightof the tree is medium, thebelt at the base that isstrengthening the tree isrecorded as huge as 33 m.The tree derives its namefrom monk Gorakh, who issaid to have taught hisdisciples under the shade ofthis tree. As many as 74trees were found to have aheight between 15 m and18 m. About 49 trees werefound to be dead trees.

The Comptroller of the Governor house, VasantSaluke said, “Tree plantation activity backed byenhanced efforts to conserve every single treethrough drip irrigation has helped in increasing thetree count at the Raj Bhavan.” He acknowledged thecontribution of members of the NanasahebDharmadhikari Pratishthan in planting andconserving the trees.

Malabar Hill used to be a densely forested areaexcept for a few Government residencies. Despitewidespread urbanisation, the Raj Bhavan hasmeticulously maintained its greenery andecosystem. The long stretch of forest in theMalabar Hill complex hosts a variety of flora andfauna. A study conducted by the Bombay NaturalHistory Society in 1997 revealed the existence of36 species of birds and a number of rare marineshells, amphibians, butterflies and insects.

Meanwhile, a Biodiversity Park was created onthe huge expanse of the Nagpur Raj Bhavan in2011. Here, the flora ranges from roses, aromaticplants and medicinal plants to cacti, sacredplants, ornamental bambusetum and a largenumber of native species. The fauna encompassesvarious butterflies and birds. Apart fromMumbai,there are two more Raj Bhavans in Maharashtra,in Pune and Nagpur.

The findings of the first GPS-based treecensus of Raj Bhavan in Mumbai points outthat the tree count at State’s first official

residence has increased from 2,994 in 2008 to5,590 to date. The Governor of Maharashtra, Ch.Vidyasagar Rao has expressed satisfaction overthe rise in the tree cover at Raj Bhavan. Thestatement followed a report on the tree censuspresented to him by the Additional MunicipalCommissioner, S.V.R. Srinivas.

The recent tree census show that there is a total


RAJ BHAVANFLORA

Treeplantationactivity backedby enhancedefforts toconserve everysingle treethrough dripirrigation hashelped inincreasing thetree count atthe Raj Bhavan—Vasant SalukeComptroller,Governor house

AGREENERWORLDMaharashtra Raj Bhavan,Mumbai, sees the tree countdouble in seven years, reports UUmmeesshh RR.. KKaasshhiikkaarr

(From top) The Raj Bhavan and Maharashtra Governor supervising the tree census in Mumbai


Therecent announcements present only asneak preview of the buzz Nagpur iscurrently witnessing in terms ofindustrial expansion. Practically the

geographical centre of the country, the district isalso becoming the centre of attraction as far asglobal business, investments and partnerships areconcerned. Trade analysts creditNagpur’s locationand connectivity—with all major highways andrailways trunk route passing through the city—and favourable leadership at bothCentre andStatefor the action. Most of the mega projects approvedfor Maharashtra in the past five to six months, bythe Centre and the State, are for Nagpur. Theseincludes three educational institutions of nationalimportance (IIM, AIIMS and NIPER), which willprovide world-class education and researchfacilities and are together valued at `3,000 crore interms of investment, apart from adding to premiereducation and research opportunities in the city.

Afew other observers suggestNagpur to alwayshad the charisma to becomeabusinesshub that canserve the whole country and beyond. Once theCapital of Central Provinces and Berar, then theCapital of the new state of Madhya Pradesh andlater transferred to Maharashtra to become itssecond capital, India’s “zero mile” location is alsoimportant, being part of Vidarbha. The region holdstwo-third of State’s total mineral resources andaccounts fornearly one-third of its cottonproductionand nearly half of thermal power capacity. Besidesresources, the regionprovides equity support tonewcooperative spinning mills and capital subsidy fornew textile units to open here.

The benefits have led to opening of big textilecompanies suchasRaymond, IndoRama, Indoworth,Gimatex, PeeVee Textiles and Mohata Mills inNagpur. The other companies that have chosen inthedistrict as their base in India includeBoeingandJaipuria Group, the biggest bottler in India of

INDUSTRYBUTIBORI

THECENTREOFATTRACTIONWith big-ticket projects like MIHAN and industrial hubs like Butibori gaining strength,Nagpur is on the path to become a global industrial destination. Supported by leadership atthe State and Centre, it is set to bring overall development to Vidarbha, says JJyyoottii VVeerrmmaa

• Franceannounced a $1billion investmenttowards thedevelopment ofthree smart citiesin India, includingPuducherry andNagpur

• China expressesinterest inmulti-modalinter national cargohub and airportat Nagpur(MIHAN) project

• CEAT Tyres toopen a state-of-the-art facilityat Butibori with aninitial investmentof `400 crore

BUTIBORI INDUSTRIALAREAThe other interesting features of Nagpur include atownship of CIDCO, which is planned to fulfillcity’s status as the second capital ofMaharashtra.The township has acquired 2,500 acres of land onNational Highway 7. Maharashtra IndustrialDevelopment Corporation (MIDC) has alsodeveloped the industrial areas around Nagpur.These include Butibori, Hingna and Umred.

Butibori has large, medium and small-scaleindustries, power plants, textile companies,production units, ancillary units, food industries,among others. In December 2014, CEATTyres laidthe cornerstone for its `400 crore plant in Butibori.Once implemented, the project will provideemployment to more than 2,500 people from thearea. The project was given the letter of intentwithin a day—a first in the history of India, saidChief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The state-of-the-art plant will be set up in three phases and thefirst tyre will roll out by April 2016. Spread across60 acres, the plant is expected to manufacture 1.2million tyres for two and three-wheeler vehicles.

After Ceat Tyres’ entry in Butibori, MIDCplans to prefer mega projects for this industrialestate. Recently, engineering and constructionmajor Larsen&Toubro too opened a service centrein Butibori.

PepsiCo. Most of these projects come under thecategory of mega projects. Thesemega projects areclassified in terms of investment and jobs to becreated. In a district like Nagpur, any businesspumping in `250 crore in the unit or assuring tocreate 500 jobs gets the status.

POWERED BYMIHANThe Government of Maharashtra with the co-operation of Government of India is developing theexisting Nagpur airport as Multi-modalInternational Passenger and CargoHubAirport atNagpur (MIHAN) Project. This includes theupgrade of existing airport to internationalstandard and expanding it by constructing thesecond parallel runway and most modernpassenger and cargo terminal building with thestate-of-the-art facilities for passenger, baggage andcargo handling. The project is supported by aninternational airport, SpecialEconomic Zone (SEZ),IT Park Health City, manufacturing units, captivepower plant, rail road terminal, internationalschool, leading IT companies and othermanufacturing companies. A salient feature ofMIHAN is its location, as Nagpur is the only citythat can offer an SEZ and an industrial area that isconnected to an international airport and a railwayline with the only “diamond crossing” (E-W, N-S).

2 MAHARASHTRA AHEAD � MAY 2015 21

T

An industrialsuburb ofNagpur, Butiboriis developed as a5-star industrialdistrict by MIDCand is the biggestMIDC area interms of notifiedarea in hectares.Currently, thereare a total of 266companies inButibori MIDC

(Clockwise from left) Officesof KEC International,Grindwell Norton, StarCirclips & Engineering, IndoRama Synthetics, ShilpaRoller, Narayana ProcessFoods, Sanvijay Rolling andEngineering, and Arc TechSystems in Butibori

Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers,Hansraj Ahir is considered and admired as one ofthe studiousMembers ofParliament.He studies everyissue that is presented to him from all aspects and

then resolves the issue. As a minister, he has concentrated hisenergies on additional empowerment of the departments underhim, to make them optimally useful to the nation.Vikas Zade,Special Correspondent (Politics), Dainik Bhaskar, interviewsthe minister forMaharashtraAhead. Excerpts:

Q. You are known as an MP who unearthed Coalgatescam.However, instead of CoalMinistry you have beenallotted the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers.A. You are correct. While in opposition, I was successful increating a wildfire on the issue of coal mine distribution in the

Parliament. I represent the coal mine region of Chandrapur inMaharashtra and, therefore, I am naturally more conversantwith the issuesdue tomystudies formanyyearsnow.Therefore,I am pleased that I was able to bring to the fore the nationalhighest earningdistribution system.However, due tomystrivingand analytical attitude, I am being given a chance to directlyserve the farmers, labour and common people through theMinistry of Chemicals and Fertilisers. I am happy that I have

been chosen by Prime MinisterNarendra Modi. I am happy tohandle important subjects suchas fertiliser supply to farmers,fertiliser production andpharmaceutical production thatmatter to the people of India.

Q. What are the schemesunder your consideration tomake this Ministry morepeople oriented?A. In fact, this Department is the

one closest to the people. TheDepartment is connectedwith thelargest industry of the nation, agriculture, and healthcare ofevery citizen of the nation. I am happy that I can beinstrumental in providing direct help to the commonest ofcommon person. Reduction of imports of special medications,strengthening production of indigenous medicines andfertilisers, supply of fertilisers after careful assessment of soilquality, striving for providing regular and easy supply offertilisers, creation of awareness for avoiding use of chemicalfertilisers, and to work on this project in coordination with theMinistry ofAgriculturewill bemy priorities in the near future.

Q. What is the policy for increasing pharmaceuticalproduction, easy distribution and price control?A. The pharmaceutical production for 500 diseases as perdemands of the Ministry of Health is a continuous process atthe Department. Quality products from India are exported tomany countries. However, compared to other nations, theproduction of basic ingredients needed for medicines in Indiais less. They have to be imported in huge quantity. If basicingredients aremanufactured in our country, the price controlcan be brought in. The Prime Minister has initiated ‘Make inIndia’ for this purpose, and we are trying our best to achievethis. Remedial measures will be implemented very soon sothat all the District hospitals and Primary Health Centreshave the facilities to deliver medicines to common people.


Q

IN PERSONUNION CABINET MINISTER

“We aim to bring life to closedfertiliser units in Maharashtra”

“PROPERDISTRIBUTION OFFERTILISERS TOFARMERS IS AHUGE MOVEMENTAND VARIOUSSTEPS AT THEMINISTRY LEVELHAVE BEEN TAKENTO ENSURE IT”

Q. Tell us about the efforts being made by the Depart-ment to help farmers receive fertilisers at cheaper ratesand in required amount.A. The chemical fertilisers are provided to the farmers atsubsidised prices. Urea is imported at `20,000 per tonne. Thefarmers receive the fertilisers at a subsidy of `5,000 per tonne.Basically, gas, potash, phosphite and other chemicals are notmanufactured in India. Since we are dependent on othernations for these, we have to forego a huge amount of preciousforeign exchange. Proper distribution of fertilisers to farmersis a huge movement and various steps at the Ministry levelhave been taken to ensure it. We are vigilant about adequatesupply and easy distribution.However, I would like to point outthat Prime Minister Narendra Modi has envisioned “SoilHealth Card” scheme. With this scheme, we will be able tosupply fertilisers as per the quality of the soil.

Q. Petroleum industries aremoving ahead very fast allover the world. Your Department is responsible for thesame. What are the resolutions?A. This is an important responsibility at the Ministry ofChemicals and Fertilisers. I would strive so that a network ofindustries is created across the country. My efforts areconcentrated on the development of a Plastic Industries Zonein Mumbai, which is capable of providing employment to atleast 1 to 1.5 lakh youth. I shall bemeeting the Government ofMaharashtra soon. When Narendra Modi was the ChiefMinister of Gujarat, he had made available a huge zone forplastic industries at Dahej. On the same lines, the CentralPetrochemicals Department has prepared a draft proposal forcreation of a Plastic Zone in Maharashtra.

Plastic granules are manufactured from the waste createdin petrochemical refineries. These are supplied to plasticmanufacturing plants from which various products aremanufactured.However, considering the importance and needfor plastics, the Central Petro-chemicals Department hasprepared a draft plan to developa plastic zone along 150 km ofMumbai sea shore. As the rawmaterials required for thisindustry would be arriving viasea, the area around Mumbaihas been emphatically chosen.This industry has been recog-nised at four Indian States.Discussing the issue with ChiefMinister Devendra Fadnavis, aproposal has beenmade for spacein Mumbai for this industry.

Q. You have representedMaharashtra in Delhi for 14years. As a Minister what

would be your contribution to the glory of the State?A.Therewould be a definite contribution.Development of one’sown State is an ethical responsibility of an individual.Fortunately, we have same political party ruling at Centre andState. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is anenthusiastic person.As I said earlier, positive discussions havestartedwith theStateGovernment on certain projects based onpetrochemicals. It is utmost essential to rejuvenate enterprisessuch as HindustanAntibiotics Ltd. Pimpri and others.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced ‘Make inIndia’. He has asked us to accept the challenge tomove ahead ofChina in pharmaceutical production. We are taking steps torejuvenate this company. If production startshere, imports fromChina could be reduced. We are also considering a coal-to-gasproject in Vidarbha. Through this project, the Department willtry setting up a urea-manufacturing unit. Rashtriya Chemicals&Fertilisershas gotmanyplants inMaharashtra.Weshall lookthe possibility of starting another such plant.

We are trying to bring life to the closed fertiliser-manu-facturing units inMaharashtra. The expansive sea shore avail-able toMaharashtramakes the State an appropriate region forpetrochemical industries. I am hopeful that some importantprojects frommyDepartmentwill be started inMaharashtra.


Efforts for India attaining apex position in the world in thefield of pharmaceutical production.� Revitalise Hindustan Antibiotics Limited, Pimpri, Pune� Efforts for regular and easy supply of fertilisers to farmers� A coal-to-gas project in Vidarbha under consideration� Acceleration in cheaper and high-quality

pharmaceutical production� Aiming to create Government medical stores at

Primary Health Centres� Orientation of farmers to use fertilisers according to

the quality of the soil� Encouragement to create an innovative national network of

plastic industries

AACCTTIIOONN PPLLAANN

“MY EFFORTS ARECONCENTRATEDON DEVELOPMENTOF A PLASTICINDUSTRIES ZONEIN MUMBAI,WHICH CAN GIVEEMPLOYMENT TOAT LEAST 1 TO 1.5LAKH YOUTH”


With a rich experience in organisational work,Chandrakant Bacchu Patil has returned toState Legislature for the second consecutive termfrom Pune Graduates constituency. He has a

resolution to rejuvenate all the departments assigned to him,namely Cooperation,Marketing andTextiles andPublicWorks(excluding Public Undertakings). Considering the said depart-ments are connected to employment generation and daily livesof the people, his efforts are addressed to provide everyone anempowered and path-breaking identity. In an interview withRahul Jadhav, a senior journalist withMaharashtra Times(Kolhapur), he talks about his priorities. Excerpts:

Q. What is the status of the implementation of the newCooperativeAct?A. There were many impractical items in the old CooperativeAct. Hence, it was essential to make it resonant with thecurrent times. The new Act had also been passed in haste.Hence, we recently had a cooperative expert workshop on theAct in Pune. Many suggestions and corrective measures

presented at the workshop will now be placed before theHouse. Under this Act, elections for all cooperative societieswill have to take place before June 30. Elections for around 1lakh cooperativeswill be held according to the provisions of thenewAct. These elections will focus on many aspects from thepoint of view of reforms. For the elections, we are makingefforts to get the basic infrastructure implemented by theElection Commission of India.

Q.How important is Cooperation, which is the spine ofrural life?A. Cooperatives have played a major role in building Maha-rashtra. The Government has decided that the cooperativesshould not only be sustained, but they should also growfurther. However, due to certain bad attitudes that haveentered the cooperatives, the very spine of rural life andeconomy at one time is today leaning towards fractures. Thepolicies will definitely be in place so that Maharashtra’scooperatives flourish. The interests of members will be givenforemost priority.

Q

FACE-TO-FACESTATE CABINET MINISTER

“We arefirm on ourpromiseof tollfreedom”

“We arefirm on ourpromiseof tollfreedom”

Q.Whatwould you like to say about the sugar rates andthe implementation of FRP?A.We have given a warning that if the sugarcane is not paidas per fair and remunerative price (FRP), the sugar producedby the concerned factory will be seized. Some of the sugarfactories have implemented FRP rates. Notices have beenissued to more than 150 FRP defaulter sugar factories.Sugar production in India and the world has increased

resulting in decrease in sugar prices in internationalmarkets. The Government, however, is making efforts sothat farmers and sugar industry do not suffer due to this. TheGovernment has allowed a concession in the SugarcanePurchase Tax, making available funds to the tune of `800crore for paying higher rate for sugarcane to farmers. We arealso trying to get sumptuous funding from Government ofIndia. But the factories should also make a move. Thefunds—to the tune of `2,100 crore—provided last year tosugar factories have not been refunded as yet. TheGovernment does not wish that the factories should closedown, but the factories must provide rates as per the FRP.The State Government will add `1,000 per tonne to Centre’sgrant of `4,000 per tonne for export of raw sugar. This makesthe export of raw sugar earn a grant of `5,000 per tonne.

Q.Howdoyoupropose to empowermarket committees?A.Most of themarket committees do not have basic facilities forsale of agricultural produce.The committeesdonothavea say inthewhole process.Weplan to activate the role of themembers ofthese committees. The status of the market committees iscurrently limited to earning cess.Apart frommaking efforts forgetting higher rates for agricultural products from farmers,it is essential to create cold storage facilities for perishablegoods. We are making efforts inthis direction. Efforts will alsobe made for agro-products pro-cessing centres through thesecommittees. Many of the marketcommittees are without toilets.Farmers bringing their agro-products here do not get properfacilities such as a dining hall forlunch. Efforts will also be madefor these facilities. Computeri-sation of market committees andtheir interconnection with eachother, information about ratesof agro-products over internetwillalso be remedied.

Q. TheCentre has announceda policy for modernisationof textiles. What are the stepstaken by the State Govern-ment in this regard?

A. The Government of India hasannounced Textile UpgradationFund Scheme. We have notreceived any grant from this fundfor a year now. The StateGovernment is following thematter. Around 15 to 20 lakhworkers depend on this industry.We are going to provide allpossible help to this industry,which provides huge employment.Under the Welfare of Power-

loom Workers Scheme, we will befollowing up health, home andpension on priority. We are goingto announce the new textile policy.The cotton crop is grown inVidarbha, but all the spinningmills are located in WesternMaharashtra. In order to save ontransport, we are going toimplement cotton-to-cloth concept.

Wewillmake effort to encourage local production, as 75 per centof the cotton produced goes outside Vidarbha. We are thinkingon increasing the subsidy for Vidarbha and Marathwada. Theold mills are accruing losses. Through acquisition and sale ofadditional lands, the funds will be made available.

Q. There is a continued and constant demand forprovision of concessional rates of electricity for powerlooms? What is Government’s policy on this?A. The Government will fully support this employment-oriented industry. The Government will have to providesubsidy to power looms. If we do not reduce the electricityrates, this industry will spend huge amount on transport andwill not be competitive. Hence, the policy of the Governmentis that of full sympathy.

Q.Toll is a highly debated topic in the State.What is thepolicy of the Government on this?A. We will ensure that Maharashtra is toll free under anycircumstances. We have started taking steps in this directionand will soon announce the State Toll Policy. According to thenew policy, small four wheelers will be given total tollconcession. The toll charged for heavy vehicles and goodstransport vehicles will be 20 per cent higher. We have startedcollecting information on the number of vehiclesmoving on theroad and the toll collected from small and big vehicles. If thetoll for heavy vehicles is increased a little, we can refund theamount by toll-collecting agencies. Further, while constructionof new toll plazas, a condition will be put to exempt smallvehicles from payment of toll. For present toll plazas withexpenses up to `200 crore, the Government will be paying theamount after collection in one go.


“THE STATEGOVERNMENT HASDECIDED THATCOOPERATIVESSHOULD NOT ONLYBE SUSTAINED,BUT THEY SHOULDALSO GROWFURTHER”

“TODAY, MARKETCOMMITTEES JUSTEARN CESS FORTHE STATE. WEPLAN TO ACTIVATETHE ROLE OF THEIRMEMBERS TOEMPOWER THESECOMMITTEES”


The Union Government under Hon. Prime MinisterNarendra Modiji is completing a year on May 25,2015. When the Hon. Prime Minister took oath onMay 26, 2014, the Government was under a huge

pressure of expectations and aspirations of the people of India.When we compare the thought process at that time to thecurrent, we realise that the mood of India has changedcompletely. Today, people have self-confidence. There arepositive messages floating in the social media. A WhatsAppmessage said, “Not heard of any scam over a year? Does theGovernment exist in the country?” The message says a lot; itshows the direction in which the Government is moving.

Themedia has been responsible for promoting assessmentof Government’s 100 days, one year, two years and three years,and so on. In a sense, this assessment is useful. TheInformation andPublic RelationsDepartment requestedme toreview the performance of Government of Indiawith referenceto Maharashtra and made me ink this piece. Looking at thedevelopmental, self-confident, expressional and strongly-willed rising of India in this one year, I am sure of the brightfuture of the country and its States, including Maharashtra.

At the outset, I must make it clear that Maharashtra hasalways been a priority forHon.NarendraModiji’s developmentagenda.Heunderstands that if development of the country is tobe achieved, development of Mumbaiwill have to be prioritised, as the city isthe financial capital of India. It is thisreason that he has immense affectionfor Maharashtra. Understanding therole Maharashtra can play in India’sdevelopment, Narendra Modji hasalways tried to prioritise the State.

BENEFITS OF FOREIGN TOURSWhether it was World EconomicForumatDavos orHannoverMesse inGermany, theHon. PrimeMinister hasprovided Maharashtra with opportu-nities to showcase its strength.He alsogave us the opportunity to participatein the agricultural exhibition heldin Israel recently. As Chief Ministerof Maharashtra, I welcome these

occasions and thank him on behalf of the entire State. In eachof these foreign tours, I had a refreshing experience. TheAmbassadors at these locations welcomed me as a represen-tative of India and not just as the Chief Minister of a State.There was a reason behind this—theHon. PrimeMinister hadheld a conference of all Ambassadors and clearly expressedthat India comprises of all Indian States, and all States mustbe given the help needed.

MAHARASHTRAON FAST TRACKOur Government in Maharashtra has also completed sixmonths. Although, we have had the opportunity to work withthe Centre during this period, Maharashtra is honoured forthe support it received from Hon. Prime Minister NarendraModiji. Any project from Maharashtra goes on fast track andis sanctioned on priority. It is only with the firm support of theUnion Government that Maharashtra projects see speedyaction. Right from the airport at NaviMumbai to ChhatrapatiShivaji Maharaj Memorial and providing land at Indu Millsfor amemorial for Dr. BabasahebAmbedkar, the support of theHon. Prime Minister and his team is totally valuable. Theapproval for coastal road is in final stages. The Centre hassanctioned relief of `2,000 crore for drought-affected farmersof the State in a single installment. This is by far the largestamount of relief given to any State by the Union Government.

BENEFIT OF PAST EXPERIENCEThe most important quality of the Hon. PrimeMinister is theease with which he meets any Chief Minister. He isapproachable in true sense of the word. The main reason ofthis accessibility is his experience of being at the helm ofaffairs in Gujarat as Chief Minister for 15 continuous years.He is fully aware of the difficulties faced by a Chief Minister.And, he has not changed his stance even after taking over asPrime Minister. He ensures that the current Chief Ministersdo not undergo the anxieties faced by earlier Chief Ministers.ThroughNitiAayog, he has providedmore powers to the ChiefMinisters. He strives to see that more resources are availableto the States. When he addressed the gathering at Niti Aayogmeeting, he specifically questioned, “What is India in truesense? If the States are taken out, will the country exist?India resides in all and every State.” We are proud that wehave a PrimeMinister who takes additional care of the States.

COLUMNCHIEF MINISTER

A YEAR OF SELF-CONFIDENCEAND NATION BUILDINGDDeevveennddrraa FFaaddnnaavviiss,, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, in his piece on the firstyear of the Union Government, lists the many achievements India registered athome and globally under the leadership of Hon. Prime Minister Narendra Modiji

During theNiti Aayogmeeting, theHon. PrimeMinisterarrangeda separatemeetingof ChiefMinisters. Itwas a session,whereeveryoneheard andlearned fromother’smeritoriouswork as aChiefMinister

COMPREHENSIVE LEADERSHIPI have had the privilege of being closely introduced to theworking style and thought process of Hon. Narendra Modijionmany occasions. In fact, I have got an enlightenedmentorin him. I recall an incident. When the Niti Aayog meetingtook place in New Delhi, the Hon. Prime Minister arrangeda separate meeting with Chief Ministers. There was neitheran agenda nor any paper to be discussed. It was a free-flowing thought disseminationmeeting, where those presenthad to listen to the meritorious work of every Chief Ministerand strive to implement the same in his State. It did notmatter whether the Chief Minister was from BJP, Congressor Communist Party. The idea was blending of thoughtsbeyond party affiliations. The Hon. Prime Minister’sgreatness was in recognising outstanding experiments inadministration with a clean heart and keeping aside politicaldifferences. He alone can do this!

AYEAR OF SELF-CONFIDENCEHon. Narendra Modiji today has created affinity andexcitement about India among all nations of the world. Now,it is the responsibility of the States to convert this opportunityinto investments. The States that can use these huge andpositively placed opportunities and go for development canalone partner India’s success.

During my foreign tours, I was touched by anotherdevelopment, and this relates to expressing one’s nationality.Wherever I went I could experience the new point of view

about India. Therewas a timewhen nobody spoke about India.Now, everyone speaks about India. The confidence generatedamong residents also exhibits the same sentiment.Recognition for strengths of India was not enough; the sameneeded to be presented in a proper way. This task was carriedout by Hon. Narendra Modiji with unparalleled ease. It wasonly due to him that we could accelerate programmes likeMake in India and Make in Maharashtra.

ABRIGHT FUTURECurrently, 53 per cent population of Maharashtra is under 25years of age. The world needs a huge number of skilledmanpower and Maharashtra youth has the potential to fulfillthis need.We need to tap various employment sources, so thatour population can reap the benefits.We also face the challengeof providing work to 70 crore skilled hands. If we are unable to

comply, the country would be doomed,and this is the purpose behindMake inIndia. Ideally, efforts on this count hadto be put in around 10 years ago. But,there was no initiative taken. Theeffort being made by Hon. NarendraModiji will ensure a bright future forthe country and also Maharashtra.

It is not that positive decisionshavebeen taken in case of industries alone.Decisions in the interest of farmershave also been taken. The requestsmade by Government of Maharashtraregarding agriculture and farmershave always been approved by theCentre. The Union Government cameto the rescue of our farmers byapproving minimum support price(MSP) for their produce and kept themalive in difficult times. None of the

Governments so far haddared to go against theWTOPact. Thiswas done by Hon. Narendra Modiji . He stood by the farmersand for their interests evenwhen therewas a globalmarket.Healso said that developing countries should have freedom to fixtheMSP. This is a huge political achievement for him.

Maharashtra is also under a devastating spell of untimelyrains and hailstorms. We are facing a huge natural calamitythis year. However, Narendra Modiji took a revolutionarydecision to enhance the criteria for assistance to farmers from30 per cent to 33 per cent. Earlier, farmers were eligible forassistance only if losses weremore than 50 per cent. Now, theywill be eligible even if losses cross 33 per cent.

I would like to congratulateNarendraModiji on completionof one year as Prime Minister of India. He has supportedMaharashtra throughout. At the same time, I assure him onbehalf of the 11 crore population of Maharashtra that wewill contribute our best to the development era and to India’sbright future.


T

Maharashtrais facing ahuge naturalcalamity thisyear. But, weare thankfulto the Hon.PrimeMinister whohas taken arevolutionarydecision toenhance thecriteria forassistance tofarmers from30 to 33 percent. Thiswill getthem bettercompensation

D

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis with Hon. Prime Minister Narendra Modiji

YEAR OF

GOVERNANCEGOOD

InOctober 2014,while campaigning inBeed,Maharashtra,PrimeMinisterNarendraModi said, “Maharashtra is likean elder brother. We (Gujarat and Maharashtra) weretogether once... I want to take Maharashtra ahead of

Gujarat. Iwant it to be at the top of all States, but for that I needa Government fromwhich I can take work.”

NarendraModihimself answered thequestionas towhetherMetrowill have a runatNagpur.He laid the foundation stone ofthe project and roads to progress widened. Metro-3 at Mumbaiand PuneMetro are other projects that are sure to happen.

Being Chief Minister of a State for 15 years, NarendraModi has experienced the pangs of running aState andhow theCentre could resolve the issues. Thiswas the reason behind hisinitiative in providingmore rights to the States and launchingof Niti Aayog. His skills in people-oriented administrationbrought transparency to the system and helped States likeMaharashtra play a role in national development.

TRAIN TOMAHARASHTRARailways have undertaken many projects for Maharashtra.Provisions have beenmade for `8,500 crore forMUTP-3 and for`11,441 crore for projects at the State; `4,670 crore for Pune–

Miraj–Londha route, `1,273 crore for tripling of Rajnandgaon–Nagpur tracks, `630 crore for Ballarsha–Wardha, `1,200 crorefor bridging Central Railway and Konkan Railway throughKarad–Chiplun route, `800 crore for third track on Pune–Lonavala section have been provided. Apart from this, surveywill be undertaken for Pune–Nashik, Ramtek–Tumsar,Nandgaon–Manmad railway routes.

Although Maharashtra has not been provided with anynew trains, the Rail Budget has made a provision of around`20,000 crore for ongoing projects.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signedbetweenMinistry ofRailways andGovernment ofMaharashtrathroughwhich railway route expansion inundeveloped areas ofthe State and laying of new tracks will be undertaken. For thedelayed rail projects in Vidarbha, Marathwada and Konkan, anew corporation has been established through collaborationbetweenMinistry ofRailways andGovernment ofMaharashtraas per renewed policy. The main task of the corporation wouldbe to look into delayed tracks in Vidarbha and Marathwada,new routes and expansion of railways.

There has been an MoU between Digi Port and RailwayDevelopment Corporation. The new railway tracks in Naxal-affectedGadchiroli district will connect this area to other partsof India. Post-graduate courses in Railways at Mumbai Uni-versity will be another step in acceleration of development inMaharashtra. These projects are being brought on track withcoordination between Union Minister for Railways SureshPrabhu andMaharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

INFRASTRUCTURE BOOST“I am not just a representative of Maharashtra, but anambassador. I shall myself try to coordinate with all theCentral Government departments. By cooperatingwith all theUnion Ministers, our efforts will be concentrated onaccelerated development ofMaharashtra,” saidNitinGadkari,

Union Minister for Shipping, RoadTransport andHighways. His promiseis also being realised. The 1,800 acresof Port Trust land has a price tag of`7,500 crore. However, the land hasnot been used for development.

There is also a discussion onMumbai Ring Road. However, asMumbai roads do not come underthe purview of National HighwayAuthority of India, there is a consi-deration of Coastal Road, SeaLink andTransHarbour Link. This initiative bythe State and Central TransportMinistrieswill helpMumbai get bettertransport facilities. The move isequally important from the point ofview of tourism.

The Department of Shipping has


A YEAR OF SUPPORTMAHARASHTRA

MAHARASHTRAIN NATIONALDEVELOPMENTThe State has always reflected India’sdevelopment. The reflection seems to havebecome clearer under the leadership ofNarendraModi at the Centre. The State hasbeen on a progress spree in PrimeMinister’sone year in office, reports RRaagghhuunnaatthh PPaannddee

For thedelayed railprojects inVidarbha,Marathwadaand Konkan,a newcorporationhas been setup incollaborationwith Ministryof Railways.The body willlook intodelayedtracks in theregions andexpansion ofrail network

allotted 150 m seabed to the Coast Guard. This will helpMaharashtraGovernment in its Pollution ControlAction Planand Emergency services. The Central Government has takendecisive steps to free Mumbaikars from traffic jams andpollution. A bus, which can run speedily on road as well as onwater, has been inducted in the fleet serving Mumbai. Thereis a proposal to establish a 500-room luxury hotel in the sea atMarine Drive. There is also a proposal for four floatingrestaurants and a floating helipad.

In order to reduce the crowd at Gateway of India, a newjetty is being considered near Radio Club. Forwater transport,satellite ports will be established at Rewas, Dahanu andVijaydurg. Dry ports will be established atAurangabad, Jalnaand Wardha. With a view to reduce transport expenses,emphasis will be laid on water transport through rivers. Tenrivers from Maharashtra figure in Water Transport Schemeand this will provide a new form to the State.

TheNagpur–Ratnagiri road, which has been announced asa National Highway, will be a four-lane concrete road. Theestimated expenses on this project are `9,000 crore. The roadfor Sant Dnyaneshwar and Sant Tukaram Palakhi route,Alandi–Pandharpur and Dehu–Pandharpur, is a gift fromGovernment of India to Maharashtra. Similarly, Solapur–Akkalkot–Gangapur–Gulbargawill also be taken up as a four-lane concrete road.

Support has also come to textiles and power. Solapurtextile industry is getting accelerated. The Government ofIndia is preparing a scheme for showcasing Solapur textileproducts at national and international markets. Coal,electricity and gas are being provided to Maharashtra usingmodern technology. Prime Minister is keen to provideelectricity worth `400 crore from Narmada project toMaharashtra. ChiefMinister Devendra Fadnavis has resolvednot to go back on JaitapurAtomic Energy project and completeit in any case. The reason was the outline of Make inMaharashtra on the lines of Make in India. As Maharashtrahas been a priority State in foreign investments, it would bewrong to back out from this project at this juncture. During theFrance tour of PrimeMinister NarendraModi, 17MoUs weresigned. These included the Jaitapur project. AREWA fromFrance is going to help India in setting up this project.

Union Minister for Chemicals andFertilisers Hansraj Ahir starteddiscussionswith theStateGovernmenton certain projects based on petro-chemicals. It was decided thatcompanies such as Hindustan Anti-biotics and Maharashtra Antibioticswill be strengthened. If these com-panies are revitalised, India couldreduce imports from China.

The coal-to-gas project atVidarbhais also under consideration. There is aplan to establish aureaplant from this.Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertlisers hasmany plants in Maharashtra andefforts are on for setting up additionalplants. ConsideringMumbai sea shoreas a plus point, planning is beingconsidered for using this for

petrochemical industries. The Union Ministry of HeavyIndustries, led by Anant Geete, will be running battery-operated buses in Mumbai.

As the meeting of the National Wildlife Committee gotdeferred, there were obstacles in sanction of 12 importantprojects from Maharashtra. The difficulty was recognisedby Minister of State for Union Environment and Forests(Independent Charge) Prakash Javdekar.

He provided sanctions from National Highways to gaspipelines projects. As the issues in the clutches of TigerProtection Authority were resolved, all the other newNational projects such as Bor Tiger project and forestconservation of Melghat–Navegaon–Nagzira were given agreen signal. The fast permissions granted for ChhatrapatiShivaji Maharaj Memorial in Arabian Sea can be consideredas a truly positive effect of the Centre–State relationship. TheState Government will take care that the coastal roads do notharm the environment, and is seriously considering a NoConstruction Zone.

The most important news recently has been that theCentre has agreed to transfer Indu Mill land to the StateGovernment for thememorial of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. TheMoUfor the same was signed in the presence of Prime MinisterNarendraModi, ChiefMinister Devendra Fadnavis andUnionMinister of Textiles (Independent Charge) Santosh Gangwar.The MoU is immensely important from the point of view ofsocialisation process at the State.

In this one year, Maharashtra grew not just at home, butwas noticed globally, as seen atWorld Economic Forum, Davosand the recent trade conference at Hannover, Germany. Aproponent of healthy competition among the States, DevendraFadnavis is keen to see that otherStates follow suit to better thework happening inMaharashtra.

—The writer is Special Correspondent (Political),Lokmat in New Delhi


During theFrance tourby PrimeMinisterNarendraModi thisyear, 17MOUs weresigned. Theseincludedthe JaitapurAtomicEnergyproject.AREWA fromFrance isgoing to helpIndia insetting upthis project

F

YEAR OF

GOVERNANCEGOOD

Think of Jalgaon in Maharashtra and youcan picture acres and acres of bananaplantations. Located in NorthMaharashtra, the district has earned the

unique distinction of achieving the highestproductivity in the country in banana production.The credit goes to thousands of farmers who haveworked hard to make their district the “BananaCapital” of India. The banana grown here isfamous for its unique taste and quality.

Considered to be the poor man’s fruit, bananais very nutritious and could be a meal by itself. InIndia, banana ranks first in production and thirdin area among fruit crops. It accounts for 13 percent of the total agriculture area and 33 per cent ofthe total production of fruits. Production is highestinMaharashtra (3924.1 thousand tonnes) followedby Tamil Nadu (3543.8 thousand tonnes).

Within India, Maharashtra has the highestproductivity of 65.70 metric tonnes/ha of bananaagainst national average of 30.5 tonnes/ha. Theother major banana-producing States areKarnataka, Gujarat,Andhra Pradesh andAssam.India exports bananas mainly to Middle Eastcountries viz. U.A.E., Saudi Arabia, Oman,Bahrain and Qatar. The varieties, which are indemand include Grand Naine and Cavendish.

Jalgaon district has shown the way for settingup a well-organised banana industry. This hasbeen achieved by adopting high-density plantingand single crop cultivation method. Besidesmeeting the demands of the markets ofMaharashtra, on an average 12-15,000 wagonloads of the fruit are transported every year to themarkets inUttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh andDelhi. Transportation to the markets of MadhyaPradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka andRajasthan is also quite sizeable.

As opposed to an average of 65 tonnes per


NUMBER ONEJALGAON BANANA

A HEALTHYOUTPUT� In India, bananacultivation is highest inMaharashtra (3924.1thousand tonnes), withdistricts of Jalgaon,Dhule, Nandurbar,Buldhana, Hingoli,Parbhani, Jalna,Nanded and Wardhathe top producers� Banana cultivationstarted commerciallyin Jalgaon in 1925.Years ago, farmersused traditionaltechniques resulting ina yield of 30-35 tonnesper hectare� Today, Jalgaoncontributes 6 per centof India’s total bananaproduction. It has48,000 ha of land underbanana plantation� Looking at the exportpotential, Apeda hasdeclared State’s topbanana-growingdistricts as AEZs(Top and above) Banana plantations in Jalgaon

BANANACAPITALOF INDIAWith high-density planting and single crop cultivation,Jalgaon has built a well-organised bananaindustry that is today known for highest productivityof the fruit in the country, says SSaammeeeerr KK

hectare grown by a common farmer in Jalgaon, ahi-tech farmer in the district today boasts ofproducing 90 tonnes per hectare, says K.B. Patil,an agriculture expert who works with JainIrrigation, one of the pioneers of drip irrigation inthe country and a company that played a majorrole in shaping the future of banana in Jalgaon.

Banana and plantain are most important foodand fruit crops globally, supporting the livelihood ofmillions of people. In India, the climate, soilconditions and water availability serve to make thefruit a unique proposition, says Bhagwat Patil,Chairman, Banana Growers Association, Jalgaon.AlthoughTamilNaduhasmaximumacreage underbananaplantation in India—1.25 lakhhectares tobeexact—Jalgaon still remains number one in thecountry for several reasons, he says. “For one, theproductivity perhectare is thehighest, from65 to 90tonnes per hectare. The near-absence of use offungicides in the plantationsmakes this an organicfruit,” he says.

Banana cultivation started commercially inJalgaon in 1925. Years ago, farmers usedtraditional techniques for banana cultivationresulting in a yield of 30-35 tonnes per hectare.The scenario changed after drip irrigation wasbrought in and tissue culture was used byscientists to bring in newer varieties. Applyingwater through drip to the root zone improved thesoil–moisture–plant relationship and made thecrop healthier. As a result, the bunch sizeincreased from 9-10 kg per bunch to 25-30 kg perbunch. The second cropping further improved

T


AlthoughTamil Nadu hasmaximum acreageunder bananaplantation inIndia—1.25 lakhhectares to beexact—Jalgaonstill remainsnumber one in thecountry forseveral reasons.For one, theproductivity perhectare is thehighest from65 to 90 tonnes perhectare. Thenear-absence ofuse of fungicidesin the plantationsmakes this anorganic fruit—Bhagwat PatilChairman,Banana GrowersAssociation, Jalgaon

productivity to a great extent.Today, Jalgaon grows 6 per cent of India’s total

banana production. It has 48,000 hectares of landunder banana plantation. The sweet Basraivariant is very popular in the domestic market.The local Basrai and Shrimanti variety of cropsdid not lend themselves to second cropping. Sowhen the scientists brought in the Grand Nainvariety, the scene changed and yield levelsimproved to 90-100 tonnes per hectare, says anexpert. The hot dry climate also kept diseasesaway making the banana a near organic fruit.The Grand Nain variety is a high-yieldingCavendish variety introduced to India from Israel.The plant grows to a height of 6.5 to 7.5 feet. Thebunches can be harvested within 12-13 monthsfrom the date of planting the tissue culture plantsin the main field.

The Agriculture Marketing Board of theState has established MahaBanana, a farmers’marketing organisation in 2002with headquartersat Jalgaon. There are 26 cooperative societiesregistered under MahaBanana and each membersociety has 300-350 small and marginal farmers.About 8,000 farmers have enrolled themselves asmembers with the organisation. Patil says thefarmers are taught new techniques and giventraining at times.

Interestingly, Pakistan has turned out to be amajor market for the Jalgaon banana. Around10,000 tonnes of the fruit are sent to Pakistanannually. According to Maharashtra StateAgricultural Marketing Board officials, theorganisation has begun box packing of bananas toPakistan where it was earlier sold in a loose form.This helps farmers get a better price.

Agricultural and Processed Food ProductsExport DevelopmentAuthority (APEDA) believesthat India has tremendous export potential forbananas and has, therefore, declared eighttraditional banana-growing districts in Maha-rashtra as agricultural export zones (AEZs),covering the districts of Jalgaon, Dhule, Nandur-bar, Buldhana, Hingoli, Parbhani, Jalna, Nandedand Wardha. APEDA has also opened a couple ofexport facilitation centres at Jalgaon andHingoli.However, farmers have been shying away fromthese centres since the rates have been prettyhigh, says a local farmer.

Patil says, the Far East andMiddle East couldturn out to be good markets for banana. Otheremerging markets could include Japan, Korea,Hong Kong and even China. Pack houses and coldstorage chains could be a great help here.Female farmers during the harvest season(


WANDERLUSTHILL STATIONS

LLOONNAAVVAALLAABBEEAAUUTTYY PPEERRSSOONNIIFFIIEEDD

Set in the lush green hills ofthe Sahyadris, Lonavala liesin the Western part of

Maharashtra, at an altitude of625 m. Known as the Jewel of theSahyadri, Lonavala offers avisitor, pristine woods andvalleys, gushing waterfalls,historic caves and scenic vistas.The name Lonavala is derivedfrom the Sanskrit word lonavli,meaning many caves. The cavesof Karla, Bhaja and Bedsa areclose to Lonavala apart from twofortresses, Lohagad and Visapur.Another place of interest is theTungi fort. Rajmachi Point,located about 6.5 km from thehill town, commands a view ofChhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’sfamous fort, Rajmachi and thesurrounding valley. RyewoodPark and Shivaji Udyan, WalwanDam, Bhushi Dam, Lonavala Lakeand the Ekvira Devi Temple arepopular tourist spots here.

Lonavala is home to INSShivaji (formerly HMIS Shivaji),Indian Navy’s premier technicaltraining institute. Besides amajor corporate conferencingcentre, it is also a chosen venuefor destination weddings. Onceused to be a popularnaturopathy and yoga centre,over the years it has becomepopular as a monsoondestination. Thanks to the easyaccess via expressway andtrains, the place gets visitors forpicnics and long drives. If youmake a plan to be here, don’tleave without packing the chikki,a popular sweetmeat madewith groundnut and jaggery.

A SLICEOF NATUREMaharashtra has been a traveller’s inn with destinations that personify natureand its beauty. The hill stations of Lonavala and Khandala will charm you with theirscenic beauty, green hills, deep valleys, historic forts, lakes and waterfalls.Panchgani, the land of five hills, and Matheran, the forest on top, are sure to leaveyou mesmerised. This summer, make these hilly pockets your vacation point

NavigatorGETTING THERE

BY AIR: The nearest airportsare Pune International

Airport (64 km) andChhatrapati Shivaji

International Airport, Mumbai (104 km)By RAIL: Nearest railheads

are Mumbai and PuneBY ROAD: Lonavala is on theMumbai-Pune Expresswayand is well-connected to

towns of Khopoli, Karjat andTalegaon Dabhade

N


PPAANNCCHHGGAANNIIHHOOLLIIDDAAYYEERR’’SS PPAARRAADDIISSEE

Panchgani is a quiet anddelightful hill stationsituated at an altitude of

approximately 1335 m. Theliteral meaning of Panchgani isfive hills that make it aspectacular picturesqueplace. Called the Mecca ofMaharashtra, the city is a

perfect destination for naturelovers, who visit the hill stationthroughout the year.

Panchgani was discoveredduring the British Raj as asummer resort, and asuperintendent named JohnChesson was placed in chargeof the place in the 1860s. A walkon the lush green paths, viewsof river Krishna snakingthrough beautiful valleys and

gentle hills, and visit to theTable Land are few activitiesyou must do when you visitPanchgani. Situated around60 m high, Table Land is a flatstretch of laterite rock. It isthe second longest mountainplateau in Asia. Many largecaves are seen from here, themost popular being the Devil’sKitchen. It is believed that thePandavas stayed here for a

while and used this place tocook their food. Parsi Point isanother place that is a mustsee. Other touristy places arewater sports centre, Tapola,Bhim Chula, Harrisons valley,Sydney Point, Dhoom Dam,Lingmala Falls and RajapuriCaves. Panchagani isrenowned for many premierresidential educationalinstitutions.

NavigatorGETTING THERE BY AIR: Nearest airport is Pune (160 km); BY RAIL: Nearestrailhead is Pune (105 km); BY ROAD: Panchgani-Pune (98 km),Panchgani-Mumbai (250 km). MSRTC buses andprivate travel services are available from various cities


MMAATTHHEERRAANNCCLLOOUUDDSS,, JJUUNNGGLLEEAANNDD AA TTOOYY TTRRAAIINN

Matheran—a spot lovedtruly byMumbaikars—is

easily Maharashtra’sprettiest hill station.Matheran, in the Raigaddistrict, is connected to thetown of Neral, at the base ofthe hills. Matheran, meaningforest on top, was discoveredby Hugh Poyntz Malet,Thane’s District Collector, in

1850. According to local lore,he asked the name of theplace. Somebody said it was aforest (ran) on the top(mathe). And that is how theplace got its name.

To reach Matheran, Maletclimbed the hill via what isknown as Chhatrapati ShivajiMaharaj’s Ladder(apparently, the Maratharuler had also taken the sameroute). The forest with its cooland salubrious climatepleased Malet, who later,together with a few friends,

built the first few cottageshere. As word got around, theBritish and some wealthyIndians based in Mumbai alsobegan to visit Matheran.Soon, beautiful, English-stylecottages and gardens dottedthe hill side. Even today, ahandful of luxury bungalowshidden among the forestedtrails guarantee youproximity with nature.

Roads in Matheran are notmetalled and are made of redlaterite earth. Toy trains arean ideal way to reach the hill

s

NavigatorGETTING THERE BY AIR: Nearest airport isMumbai (100 km);BY RAIL: Nearest railheadis Mumbai (20 km)BY ROAD: Mumbai-Neral(90 km), Neral-Matheran(21 km), State transportbuses ply from Mumbaiand Pune to Neral

WANDERLUSTHILL STATIONS


station. No vehicles areallowed inside the town. In2003, Matheran was declaredan eco-sensitive zone, puttinga cap on industrial and otherdevelopments here. Begin yourvisit to Matheran withPanorama Point to see thesunrise and end it with a visitto Porcupine Point to see thesunset. Other places ofinterest include the CharlotteLake, which is the main sourceof drinking water for thelocal population, Louisa Pointand Echo Point.

KKHHAANNDDAALLAALLOOVVEE AATT FFIIRRSSTT SSIIGGHHTT

Regarded as a popular hillstation in the WesternGhats of Maharashtra,

Khandala, is set amongst thehills and valleys of the Sahyadrimountain range. This place isadorned by a fascinatingpanoramic beauty. Khandala issmaller than Lonavala andrelatively calmer.

Known to be the Pride of theSahyadri Mountains,Khandala’s beautiful waterfallsamidst the lush greenenvironment makes for asplendid sight. Its history issimilar to Lonavala in the sensethat Chattrapati Shivaji ruledthe area around Khandala,which came under the Peshwarulers before being taken overby the British. Tugauli, Lonavala,Bhushi and Valvan lakes adornthis idyllic hill station.Amrutanjan Point, ReversingStation, Monkey Hill, Kune Falls,Sakur Plateau and the RajmachiFort are places of interest here.Ganesh Chaturthi is celebratedhere in September with muchpomp and show.

Toy trains are an ideal way toreach Matheran. Begin your visit to the

hill town with Panorama Point to seethe sunrise and end it with a visit

to Porcupine Point to see the sunset

NavigatorGETTING THERE

BY AIR: The nearest airportsare Pune International Airport

(64 km) and ChhatrapatiShivaji International Airport,

Mumbai (110 km)BY RAIL: Nearest railheads are

Mumbai (110 km) andPune (60 km)

BY ROAD: Pune-Khandala (69km), Mumbai-Khandala (101

km), Lonavala-Khandala(5 km). State transport

buses ply fromMumbai and Pune

Whatstarted as a means of transmitting folklore toa populace not acquainted with the written wordsoon became famous and got popular in the nameofWarli folk paintings.While there are no records

of the exact origins of this art, its rootsmay be traced to as earlyas 10th century AD. Research suggests that tribals were thepropagators of a tradition, which originated sometime in theNeolithic period between 2,500 BC and 3,000 BC.

Warli is a vivid expression of daily and social events of theWarli tribe of Maharashtra, found mostly on the northernoutskirts of Mumbai, who use this art form to embellish thewalls of their homes. The art that was first discovered in theearly 70s has evolved from itsmural form and is characterisedby images of human beings and animals, and scenes fromdaily life created in a loose rhythmic pattern. Paintedwhite onmud walls, they are similar to pre-historic cave paintings inexecution and usually show of human figures engaged inactivities like hunting, fishing and farming, and duringfestivals and dances.

SYMBOLSAT PLAYWarli art is two dimensional, with no perspective orproportion. The paintings are simple and linear withmaximumuse of triangular shapes. Human and animal bodiesare represented by two triangles joined at the tip—the uppertriangle depicts the trunk and the lower triangle the pelvis.Every symbol of Warli art has its ownmeaning and language.Men andwomen in spiral form and concentric circular designssymbolise the circle of life.

Warli paintings are seen mostly on an austere mud baseusing one colour, white, with occasional dots in red and yellow.Their white pigment is a mixture of rice paste and water withgum as a binding. They use a bamboo stick chewed at the endto make it as supple as a paintbrush. The paintings depictsignificant occasions in one’s life, be it marriage or harvestperiod and sacred rituals attached to the same. Many of theWarli paintings representing Palghat, the God of matrimony,often depicts a horse used by the bride and groom. Themonochromatic tribal paintings express various folkimaginations, beliefs and customs. It is also a reflection of the

social and religious aspirations of the local people.Warli paintings are important to amarriage ceremony and

are called lagnacha chauk or marriage paintings. Marriedwomen or savasini, paint a chauk or a square on the walls.These paintings also showcase the love of the natives fornature. Believed to invoke the power of Gods,Warli symboliseshuman’s harmony with each other and with nature.

THE ROADAHEADIn a significant diversion from the authentic style of Warli,new-age artists have started to draw straight lines in theirpaintings as against a simple juxtaposition of countless dots.While, traditionally, the paintings were exclusively farmscenes with huts, of late, modern elements have startedcreeping in. Cityscapeswith contemporary themes aremakingway. But, by and large, Warli paintings with traditionalthemes are still a big draw, both domestically andinternationally. Now, this tribal art is no more just a woman’sdomain or a tribal expression of social realities. There is a


CULTURE CURRYWARLI ART

Warli, the monochromatic tribalexpressions of a cultural milieu, is morethan mere designs on walls; it depicts away of life, says PPaallllaavvii SSiinngghh

ART THATSPEAKS

significant change in the artreflecting the development of manand society. It is now being done onpaper incorporating traditionaldecorativeWarli motifs withmodernelements say a bicycle, car, building,computer, train, etc..

The world of fashion is an areathat has seen traditional art and craftat play. Today, many designers are inspired by the charm oftraditional folk style. Warli entering the fashion field was arevelation to the art itself. Designers impressed by thesimplicity of the art have tried to implement it in their work.Fashion designer Shruti Kothari tells us how the famous art,froma remote village, is nomore a remote tradition. To her “thesimplemotif of stick figures on a structured tunic adds just thatelement missing. A black skirt with white sticks on it isshockingly seen onWestern wear and not on Indian wear.”

Shruti Kothari’s new release was anti-fits, a rebellious

trend defying the norms of regular fashion.These outfits hadWarli art on themgiving theapparel an exotic Indian appeal.

Another fashion designer, Smriti Guptahas created an entire line of dresses basedon these paintings. When she decided totake up traditional art forms as aninspiration for one of her collections, shecame across Warli. She has used traditional

patterns, rich and folksy colours to recreate the magic ofWarli in her dresses. Quite recently, PN Gadgil Jewellersfrom Pune have come up with unique designs inspired byWarli in jewels, ranging from pendants, necklace, braceletsand bangles. The earthy and soothing nature of the art helpsin creating the nostalgia.

Today, one can seeWarli paintings on home decor products,a garment, or a toy. Thewhims andmoods of tribal lifemake forinteresting themes, which is why Warli is much more thandesigns on walls; it is an authentic depiction of a way of life.


(Clockwise from topleft) Children admiringa Warli artwork onwall, artists busymaking a Warlipainting, and a keychain, wooden boxes,envelopes andflower pots withWarli artwork

Warli art is twodimensional, with noperspective or proportion. The paintings are simpleand linear with maximumuse of triangular shapes

PHOTO

GRAPHS:R

AKHIAD

AGASALU

NKE

Inthemedieval period, fortswere the foremost defence of akingdomagainst the enemy.RamchandraAmatyapassedon Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s policy on forts toChhatrapati Sambhaji of Kolhapur; saying, “Forts are the

essence of the entirekingdom.”Knownasoneof thegreatest civiladministrators, diplomats and military strategists of theMaratha empire, Amatya wrote Adnyapatra in which heexplained different techniques of war, the maintenance andadministration of forts, among other aspects, with the intentiontoguideShivaji’s grandsonSambhaji II.Adnyapatrahas awholechapter dedicated to forts. “The essence of thewhole kingdom,”it declares, “is forts”.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj built his kingdom on thestrength of forts. He also built forts along the seashore. Out ofthese, three epitomise thekindof defence the fortsmust offer anykingdom. These were the Daulatabad or Devagiri Fort nearAurangabad, the Rajgad Fort—located at the first capital of theMarathas—and the seafort of Vijaydurg. The forts cover thegamut ofMaharashtra’s fort construction policy. The first fort ismade invincible by removing stones; the second is made strongby using the stone; and the third, by concealing the stone!

The famous Ellora Caves are just 16 km away fromDevagiri–Daulatabad.When Ellora was being built, removal ofstone from the Devagiri Fort began. The fort has a huge, wide,deep and smooth moat—a water tank cut out of stone—and awondrous winding, three-and-a-half-turn dark passage,andhaari. This passage is the only way up the moat that has


HERITAGEFORTS

FORTIFICATIONDEMYSTIFIEDIn the second column of our series onMaharashtra forts, acclaimedhistorian NNiinnaadd BBeeddeekkaarr enlightens uson the defence mechanism andarchi tecture of the forts atDaulatabad, Rajgad and Vijaydurg

crocodile-infested waters. The darkness of the passage can onlybe pierced by the leaping flames of a torch. It is not known forhowmany years the rockwas cut at Devagiri. The credit for itsconstruction goes to the Yadav dynasty. The Rashtrakuta andShilahara dynasties are largely lost to history.

The Devagiri Fort had a unique way to defend itsinhabitants. At the end of the andhaari, a hot plate awaited theenemy. Should the enemy reach that far, he would fight for airand rush towards one of the vents, eventually falling headlonginto the waters of the moat. While making an estimate of theexcavated basalt of thisDeccan trap that has specific gravity of2.7, we reached the ballpark figure of two million tonnes. Theastonishing estimate underlines the strength of the fort. It isdifficult to win the fort without defections. Besides the moat,the fort has three massive ramparts—Mahakot, Ambarkotand Kalakot. There is no need for fortification at the rear, as itis impossible to assail it from behind. Devagiri–Daulatabad isthus an interesting case of fortification by removing stones.

Building forts using stone is not uncommon. In 1645-46,Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj captured the fort of MurumbDev (or Brahmadev’s Hill) and began building the first capitalof his kingdom. The fort was to be known as Fort Rajgad. Thefort lies in themidst of valleys of Nira, Velvandi, Kanandi andGunjawani rivers and is an extraordinary feat of engineeringstanding for more than 350 years. The land slopes away onthree sides and in the centre is the Bale Killa—the highestpoint of the fort. The threewings of the fort were strengthened

by strong walls and enclosed slopes (or machi). Of the threewings, the Sanjeevani machi (lower plateau) is one-and-a-half-kilometer long with triple-layered fortification. It hasbastions andAlu darwaza (an entrance to the fort). The Suvelamachi is similar. It also has a water tank, a spear-hole in therock (called nedha) and doors—all quite out of the ordinary.On the Padmavati machi, one finally finds some flat spacewith a large water tank.

The way up to the Bale Killa—called Adhikyata inSanskrit—is extremely difficult. After the arduous verticalascent, one finds buildings andwater tanks. Thenearby forts ofPurandar,Rohida, Torna, Sinhgad,Lohagad–Visapurare easilyvisible, besides distant views of Raigad, Pratapgad andMakarandgad. It is estimated that Rajgad Fort was built withseven to eight lakh tonnes of stone.Where the stone came from,how it was chiseled to shape and fitted, where the mortar wasmade, or how many men were employed are questions thatremain unanswered to date. Rajgad is thus an excellentexample of a fort made invincible by using stone.

Now, what if wemake a fort strong bymaking its stones goinvisible? No big task, as this too has been achieved inMaharashtra. In Sindhudurg, on the river Vagotane, locatedon the edge of the Arabian Sea and near a village namedGirye, stands the sea fort of Vijaydurg. Shivaji captured it inVijaya Samvatsara, giving it its name.

Charles Boone, a British Governor of the BombayPresidency, made several attackson the fort in 1719. A ship namedFram was specially built for thispurpose. But the attacks did notsucceed. The English closed theroad from Vagotane with woodenblocks, but still could not get closeto the fort from the sea. They evenhad to lose some of their ships.Fram eventually sank and Boonehad to withdraw his forces. Themystery behind the defeat ofBritish was eventually solved in1991. The Western Naval Com-mand and ships of National

Institute ofOceanography (NIO),Goa, founda stonewall insidethe sea, about 300-350 feet away from Vijaydurg. Not visibleevenduring low tide, thewall runs parallel to the fort’swall andis 300 feet long and 20-22 feet wide. The stones used in thewallare chiseled byhumanhands. ThePortuguese probably knewofthis wall, as can be seen from some of their documents, but theEnglish were unaware and, therefore, sustained losses.

Vijaydurg, thus is an example ofmaking a fort invincible bymaking the stone ‘invisible’. The stones point to the fact that thefort was built in the 17th century, says Dr. Sila Tripathi, atechnical officer from theMarine Archaeology Centre, NIO.

—The writer is an eminent historian, writer andChief Advisor, Fort Restoration Committee. The article

is co-authored by Dr. Uday S. Kulkarni


Marathaleader,ChhatrapatiShivaji Maharajbuilt his king -dom on thestrength of forts.Out of these,three epitomisethe kind ofdefence the forts must offerany kingdom

(From top) Seafort ofVijaydurg, the fort of

Rajgad and theDevagiri–Daulatabad Fort

near Aurangabad

more law colleges ensuring swift expedition of cases. Targetedobjective combinedwith right approachwould definitely ensureattainment of the goal, he expressed.

The Chief Minister said, “Our mission for the Judiciary fornext five years is to provide access to justice for all, affordable costof litigation and delivering justice at an accelerated pace.”Expressing his concern on the alarming 29 lakh court casespending in theState,DevendraFadnavis informed the gatheringabout the MIS being developed for reducing the cases. Heunderlined his concern on numerous cases relating to crimeagainst women, disadvantaged sections of society, matrimonial

disputes and personal liberty. He em-phasised Government’s resolve to reducethe age of pendency from15 to three years,which would go a long way in reducinglitigation cases.

Underlining some of the importantsteps taken after October 2014 in this di-rection, the Chief Minister informedabout the creation of additional 179 postsof Judicial Officers from the level ofMagistrate toDistrict Judges coupledwith754 supporting staff employees, increase inthe strength of Judges from 75 to 94—an

increase of 25 per cent—and sanctioning sufficient finance forinfrastructure, salaries and allowances.

Devendra Fadnavis added that delegation to fully reim-burse the medical expenses bills has been given to the ChiefJustice of theHighCourt of Bombay. Sitting and retired judgeswould be able to avail it. Enhancement of pecuniary jurisdictionof theDistrict Courts from `25 lakh to `1 crore has already beentaken by the Cabinet in February this year.


Maharashtra Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis was inNew Delhi on April 5 to attend the Joint Conference ofChief Ministers and Chief Justices organised by the

Union Ministry of Law and Justice. Addressing the augustaudience with profound courtesy, Devendra Fadnavis gaveassurance of the State Government’s complete cooperation tothe Judiciary, so as to facilitate citizens for overcoming anyobstacles hampering the way towards fulfilling the mission ofcreating additional law colleges for future generations andexpedition of pending legal cases across the country. PrimeMinister Narendra Modi chaired the conference. Expressing hisconcerns on the pending legal cases, the Prime Ministerappealed to the State Governments for adopting a com -prehensive integrated approach with respect to creation of

TARGETED OBJECTIVE, RIGHT APPROACH

DELHI DIARYFROM THE CENTRE

(From left) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis with MadhyaPradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in New Delhi

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis shares his mission to provide access to justice for all at an affordable cost and at an accelerated pace

MMAAHHAARRAASSHHTTRRAA RREECCEEIIVVEESSPPAANNCCHHAAYYAATT AAWWAARRDDSS

Maharashtra received NationalE-Panchayat and State Devolution IndexAward at the hands of Prime Minister

Narendra Modi on the occasion of 22nd NationalPanchayati Raj Day at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhion April 24. The awards celebrate the variousinitiatives that strengthen the Panchayat RajSystem, the backbone of the country. As many as20 Panchayati Raj Institutions from Maharashtra,including State Zilla Panchayats, PanchayatSamitis and Gram Panchayats won awardson the occasion. The function was attended by92 representatives from the State.

“It isMaharashtraGovernment’sresolve toreduce the ageof pen dencyfrom 15 tothree years.This wouldgo a long wayin reducinglitigationcases”


PPAADDMMAA AAWWAARRDDSS TTOO NNIINNEE DDIIGGNNIITTAARRIIEESSFFRROOMM MMAAHHAARRAASSHHTTRRAA

Of the total 149 Padma Awards given this year,Maharashtra received a total of nine. Two PadmaVibhushan went to Hindi film legends, Dilip Kumar and

Amitabh Bachchan, one Padma Bhushan to eminent scientistDr. Vijay Bhatkar, and Padma Shri awards to renowned filmdirector Sanjay Leela Bhansali, music composer RavindraJain, lyricist Prasoon Joshi, scientist Dr. Prahlada,vocalist Shekhar Sen and to Late Dawoodi Bohra leaderSyedna Mohammed Burhanuddin (posthumously). The awardswere distributed at the prestigious Darbar Hall ofRashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi.

M

—Amarjyot Kaur Arora, IO, MIC, New Delhi

CCEENNTTRREE SSHHOOUULLDD HHEELLPP AADDDDRREESSSS SSUUGGAARRCCAANNEEPPRROODDUUCCEERRSS’’ CCOONNCCEERRNNSS:: CCHHAANNDDRRAAKKAANNTT PPAATTIILL

In order to bring farmers fair remunerative price (FRP)for sugar, Maharashtra Government has taken a decisionto grant interest-free loan of `2,000 crore. For the

same, the Central Government should help the State withfunds, urged Maharashtra Cooperation MinisterChandrakant Patil in New Delhi.

Chandrakant Patil was speaking at the meeting of ChiefMinisters deliberating on sugar and pending arrears at J.C.Bose Auditorium, Krishi Bhawan. Union Consumer Affairs &PDS Minister, Ram Vilas Paswan headed the meeting.Present during this meeting were Union AgricultureMinister, Radha Mohan Singh, Union Women and ChildDevelopment Minister, Maneka Gandhi, and UnionAgriculture Minister of State, Dr. Sanjeev Baliyan, along withall State Ministers and senior officials.

Chandrakant Patil addressed the issues concerningsugarcane farmers. He underlined the financial problems ofsugar industry and the number of initiatives taken up by theState to help the industry. He said that the State Cabinet hastaken a major decision of granting an interest free loan of`2,000 crore to sugarcane-cultivating farmers. Five-yearrepayment tenure period has been fixed. Considering thishuge expenditure on the State exchequer, the Minister urgedthe Centre to provide funding assistance and help inproviding relief to the farmers.

The State has witnessed surplus production of sugarcanethis year, resulting into a steep fall of market price. To improvethe situation, it is necessary to encourage ethanol production.For this, a subsidy of `6 per litre be provided for.

GGAADDCCHHIIRROOLLII’’SS SSKKIILLLL DDEEVVEELLOOPPMMEENNTTPPRROOGGRRAAMMMMEE AAWWAARRDDEEDD

This Civil Services Day (April 21) two awards fell in the kittyof Maharashtra Government. The first, for the skilldevelopment programme for youth in the Naxal-affected

district of Gadchiroli to make them financially independent, wasconferred the prestigious Prime Minister’s Award. GadchiroliCollector Abhishek Krishna received the award underGovernment’s Crop Pest Surveillance and Advisory Project(CROPSAP) and Amravati Collector Kiran Gitte received theCivil Services Award for his brilliant financial inclusionprogramme implemented at Tripura’s Mandvi block. Impressedby its success, the Maharashtra Government is nowplanning to replicate the programme in five more districts,

including Nagpur. The award consists of prize moneyof `1 lakh, a memento and a certificate. The Prime Minister’saward, started in 2005, has been given to public servantsfor their outstanding work.

Maharashtra ChiefMinister Devendra Fadnavisissued instructions to the officials to keep in touchwith tourists from the State stuck in Nepal aftera high-intensity earthquake on April 25.He also alerted the State Disaster Managementteam to be prepared for rescue operations at anylocation in Nepal and India, if required. TheNational Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teamfrom Maharashtra is ready for a call from theCentral Government, if needed. The 1,100-member team of highly-trained NDRF personnelhas a base camp in Pune.The State Government has set up a cell at the

Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi to help people from

t

TheGovernment of Maharashtra needs a paton the back for having streamlined theprocess of evacuatingMaharashtrians stuck

in tremor-hit Nepal and bringing them safely backto their homeland. More than 1,000 tourists fromMaharashtra have been contacted by the StateDisasterManagement Department and reported assafe. “Initially, we received information of around950 tourists from various parts of Maharashtrabeing stuck in Nepal. Later, more and more peoplecalled the Mantralaya Control Room and we foundthat more than 1,000 tourists are in Nepal, waitingfor a reply,” said Suhas Diwase, Director, StateDisaster Management Cell, Mantralaya.

M

OPERATION MAITRIMAHARASHTRA

(Top) Disastermanagement teams

from India participatein bringing relief to

earthquake-affectedpeople in Nepal

W

Maharashtra Government has left no stone unturned to ensure a safe passage backhome for natives of the State caught in earthquake-hit Nepal, says KKrriittii LLaallllaa

TOGETHER IN GRIEF


the State to locate their relatives and near ones inNepal in the backdrop of the earthquake. “This cell,set up as per the instructions of Maharashtra ChiefMinister will work in close co-ordination withMinistry of ExternalAffairs and HomeMinistry tolocate people in Nepal,” an official in the ChiefMinister’s office said.Interestingly, the State Government made use

of the ham radio to track down natives gone toNepal, and provided assistance to them for theirsafe return. According to Suhas Diwase, thiswas the first time for the State to use the hamradio to trace its people stuck in a disastroussituation. He said that within a few hours of theearthquake hitting Nepal, the control room wasput into action.Arun Puranik from the Disaster Amateur

Radio Emergency Service said that four amateurham radio operators are helping out people stuckin Kathmandu. “In Maharashtra, we have morethan 400 ham operators. When cell phones ortelephone networks collapse as a consequenceof natural disasters, only ham helps inrescue operations,” said Yogesh Gulati, ChiefCommanding Officer of the radio service.Amateur radio (also called ham radio) is the

use of designated radio frequency spectra forpurposes of private recreation, non-commercialexchange of messages, wireless experimentation,self-training and emergency communication.An 18-member trekking team from State’s

Sales Tax Department left Mumbai onApril 18 foran Annapurna trek in the Himalayan Range. Alltrekkers, includingArun Birajdar, Prashant Patiland Mohan Chikhale have been reported safe.Arun Birajdar said, “We have completed ourexpedition as planned. We knew about theearthquake in Nepal and land sliding in theHimalayan range, but being in the forest, we didnot realise it.”Deputy Commissioner Mohan Chikhale said

that the Maharashtra Government traced themeven though they were out of range. “We didn’trealise the intensity of the earthquake.We spoke toour family members,” he said.Praising the efforts of the Government,

Prashant Patil said his family was worried. “TheState Government informed my family about mysafety. Thanks to it, they could stop worrying.”Expressing satisfaction on being able to rescue

people from the State at this hour of need, SuhasDiwse said, “Till today, all 1,300 people fromMaharashtra who had gone as tourists or fortrek have or are returning safely,” adding, “Now,

we are arranging relief in the form of newblankets, tents and plastic sheets with the help ofNGOs at divisional level. This relief will be sent toaffected people in Nepal. Through the ham radioservice, people from Spain, Dubai and othercountries are also getting information from usabout their citizens and we are helping themin every manner.”Suhas Diwase explained that the State

Government decided to make use of this serviceafter they came to know that a ham radio canwork better than Internet and telephone lines incrisis conditions. “We have made State-levelplatform available to these ham radio operatorswho have otherwise been operating their deviceson their own or on private basis. Now, we will betying these ham radio users at district level andmake them part of the Divisional Disaster ControlRoom,” he assured. The State is also mulling theinstallation of a ham radio operating systempermanently at Mantralaya.Meanwhile, Maharashtra Public Health

Department has deployed two teams of doctors inDelhi for onward journey to Nepal to assist inmedical relief. Some essential medical supplieshave also been sent with this team. A truckload ofmedicines, including analgesics, antibiotics,iodine solution, bandages, gloves and TT injectionsare being dispatched from the State. Teams ofdoctors from J.J. Hospital have been kept onstandby for deployment to Nepal if required.The Government has also set up two helplineson a 24×7 basis for assistance (New Delhi:011-23380325 and Mumbai: 022-22027990).Arrangements for stay and railway tickets wereprovided by the Special Cell at the MaharashtraSadan to those who needed them. Facility for airtickets on priority has also been arranged at theDelhi airport.Hemlata Upadhaya from Mumbai was on a

religious tour to Nepal. On the fateful day, shetogether with a group of 17 from the State was atthe Janaki Mandir, at Janakpur, where theyexperienced earth-shattering tremors. “By the graceof God and help from the Government authorities,the team was not only able to participate in theritualistic prayers as part of the tour, but alsoreturned home safe and sound,” she said.Nepal was hit by an earthquake measuring 7.8

on the Richter scale on April 25 that saw morethan 7,000 deaths and thousands renderedhomeless, apart from triggering an avalanche onMt. Everest. Mild tremors of the earthquake werefelt in parts of Maharashtra also.


Wereceivedinformation ofaround 950tourists fromvarious parts ofMaharashtrabeing stuck inNepal. Later,more andmorepeople called theMantralayaControl Roomandwe foundthat more than1,000 tourists arein Nepal, waitingfor a reply—Suhas DiwaseDirector,Maharashtra DisasterManagement Cell

Wewere on anAnnapurna trekin the HimalayanRange.We hadcompleted ourexpedition asplanned.Weknew about theearthquake inNepal and landsliding in theHimalayanrange, but beingin the forest, wedidn’t realise it—Arun BirajdarA trekker and anofficial of Sales TaxDepartment

InMaharashtra,we havemorethan 400 hamradio operators.When cellphones ortelephonenetworkscollapse due to acalamity, onlyham radio helpsin rescueoperations—Yogesh GulatiChief CommandingOfficer, DisasterAmateur RadioEmergency Service

The 88th All India Bhartiya MarathiSahitya Sammelan took place fromApril3-5 in Ghuman, a small town in Punjab’sGurdaspur district. Collaborated and

celebrated as its own by Governments of Punjaband Maharashtra, the convention endorses thestay and spiritual journey of the 13th centuryreformist and Maharashtrian poet, Sant Namdevin Ghuman 700 years ago. The spiritual leaderspent two decades in the fields of Punjab,composing hundreds of abhangs—praise-poems tothe God Vithalla. Two centuries later, 62 of theseabhangs were incorporated in the sacred book ofthe Sikhs, the Adi Granth. The idea of organisinga Marathi literature convention in Ghuman wasseen as a way to honour the bond built by SantNamdev with Punjab and reiterate the historicallinks between the two States.

This year, the convention was a double sweettreat being held under the Chairmanship of Dr.SadanandMore, a noted historian,writer, poet andphilosopher, and a direct descendant of SantTukaram. The event kicked off with a ceremonialflag-hoisting ceremony and demonstration ofbooks. Musicians and dancers from Maharashtrawalked through the streets of Ghuman, while theresidents put up langars (free communitykitchens) for the visitors.

The inauguration ceremony was attended byChief Minister of Punjab, Prakash Singh Badal;UnionMinister for RoadTransport, NitinGadkari;

Former UnionMinister, Sharad Pawar; and otherdignitaries. At the event, Prakash Singh Badalannounced setting up of an Arts and ScienceCollege in Ghuman and gave `12 crore for thesame. The foundation stone for a much-neededdegree college was laid by Nitin Gadkari andSharadPawar. PunjabChiefMinister also announ-ced a Chair to be constituted in the name of SantNamdev at Amritsar University.

The concluding ceremony show was again aglittering show. Maharashtra Chief MinisterDevendra Fadnavis won the hearts of thosepresent by starting his speech in crisp Punjabi. Inhis address, he announced that a Chair in thename of Guru Govind Singh will be started atSwamiRamanandTeerthUniversity, Nanded. Healso invited Punjabi litterateurs to hold a similarPunjabi literary meet in Maharashtra.


LITERATURE LINKAGEMARATHI IN PUNJAB

A convention of Marathi writers held in Ghumancelebrates the common legacy of Punjaband Maharashtra, reports PPrraavveeeenn KKuullkkaarrnnii

The idea oforganising aMarathiliterature meetwas seen as away to honourthe bond built bySant Namdevwith Punjab andreiterate thehistorical linksbetweenthe two States

(Clockwise from top)Maharashtra Chief Ministerspeaks at the MarathiSahitya Sammelan, DevendraFadnavis with Sukhbir SinghBadal, and celebrations inGhuman, Gurdaspur, PunjabPerformers fromMaharashtra present acultural presentation

UNITED BY HERITAGE

The Regulation of Admission Fees Act will givethe State power to regulate college fees and restrictprivate institutions from conducting commonentrance test (MH-CET) and Central AdmissionProcess (CAP), applicable to all degree, technical,medical and agriculture colleges and varsities.

Meanwhile, there will be another committee tocontrol admissions to colleges. The CETwill only beconducted by the committee. No private CETs willbe allowed to be conducted. It will bemandatory forcolleges to admit students on the basis of theGovernment-organised CET. Under the Act, if thecommittee receives a complaint against aninstitution that provides false information and isproven guilty, the directors of the institutemay facejail term of six months to two years.

Another decision has been taken to implementRashtriya Uchchatar Shikshan Abhiyan in theState. Through this, fund to the tune of `550 crore(35 per cent given by the State and 65 per cent bythe Centre) will be acquired in the next two years.The Government, by extending supplementaryfunds, will use the fund to increase researchopportunities in universities, give quality edu-cation and transform autonomous colleges intouniversities. “A single CET by the Governmentwill definitely help in reducing students’ stress andhelp education. It will also help in maintainingexcellence of students,” he said.

Experts have welcomed the Act and called itone of the best Acts in terms of fee regulation. Thefact that CETs cannot be taken by individualcolleges will be a huge relief for students. Thereis also a provision for punishment, if institutesflout norms.

The State Government has decided toimplement the Maharashtra UnaidedPrivate Professional Education Institutions

(Regulation ofAdmission Fees)Act, 2015, from theforthcoming academic year. “The Act is in thefavour of students. It is not against any privateeducational institute, but against those whoconsider education as business,” said Vinod Tawde,Minister, Higher and Technical Education.

The draft of theAct had been pending for manyyears. The State has now passed an ordinance.Now, a panel will be set up under a retired HighCourt Judge, Chartered Accountant, former Vice-Chancellors of ICWA and universities, Director,Technical Education and experts from the FinanceDepartment, among others. The team of expertswill study the financial status of colleges andfinalise their fee structures, added Vinod Tawde.


HIGHER EDUCATIONCOLLEGE CHECK

(From left) College studentsin Maharasthra and VinodTawde, Minister, Higher andTechnical Education,Government of Maharashtra

The Regulation of AdmissionFees Actwill help the State regulatecollege fees and restrict privateinstitutions fromconductingcommonentrancetests, reports VVaarrsshhaaAAnnddhhaallee

Asingle CETorganised bythe StateGovernmentwill help inreducingstudents’stress andhighereducation. Apoint to clarifyis that the Actis not againstany privateeducationalinstitute, butonly those thatconsidereducation asbusiness. Themove will helpin maintainingexcellenceof students.—Vinod TawdeMinister for Higherand TechnicalEducation

AN ACTTHAT HELPSSTUDENTS

DILKHULAS

Budget sound bytesSudhir Mungantiwar, Minister ofFinance and Planning and Forests,Maharashtra presented the maidenBudget of the current Government inthe State. Later, in an interview onDilkhulas, he shared that, for the firsttime, a complete change was brought inthe way the Budget is prepared. “Aconcerted effort was made to focus onthe questions before acommon man and to findsolutions to thoseproblems. This time, inMaharashtra—referredto as Chanda to Banda—a common man fromChanda presented the Budget to theState,” he said, adding, “Tribal, Naxalaffected, malnutrition, reduction in percapita income and unemployment werethe main issues before us. We had

appealed to all the MLAs, MPs andMinisters to give us suggestions to solvethese issues. We also welcomedsuggestions from journalists, Facebook,Internet, website, newspapers andother media and from common people.The IAS officers sent us theirsuggestions through Whatsapp. We puttogether all these suggestions in just138 days.”

The proportion at whichdevelopment and progress was expected

in the State has not beenachieved so far. “Removingall the lacunae andshortfalls in the earlierBudgets, we made aneffort to take the State onthe path of progress. The

farmers need opportunities and notsympathy. Hence, we made a hugeprovision for agriculture,” he added.

Speaking on the Economic Survey ofthe State, Sudhir Mungantiwar said

that every year economic progress ofMaharashtra is documented and thepeople of the State have a right to knowthis information. His dialogueinculcated confidence in people andassured them that the provisionsin the Budget have been madekeeping in mind the inclusivedevelopment of the State.

—Meera Dhas


INFORMATIONEXCHANGE

STATE BUDGET ONRADIOThe Budget for the financial year 2015-16 was presented in the Budget sessionof the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in Mumbai. Dilkhulas aired an interview withSSuuddhhiirr MMuunnggaannttiiwwaarr,, Minister of Finance and Planning and Forests, on the variousaspects of the process and objectives it had this year

“In this year’s Budget, theState is emphasising on creatingbasic infrastructure for agriculture andrural development. Attention has beengiven to all constituents—farmers, women,entrepreneurs, youth and the rest. Anappropriate balance has been maintainedbetween urban and rural areas, and thisbalance will definitely result inacceleration of the State economy”

—Sudhir Mungantiwar,Minister, Finance and Planning

and Forests

Sudhir Mungantiwar, Minister of Finance and Planning and Forests on Dilkhulas


MAHANEWS

Information-led public serviceIn the age of Information Technology, exchange of information is fast. Theinformation reaches us through social media and mobile apps as well. On theother hand, there exists a fierce competition between various TV channels andnewspapers on who disseminates the news fastest. The competition hasbecome fiercer with the use of social media. However, all of these still do notensure that the information shared is authentic. Mahanews, an initiative of theDirectorate General of Information and Public Relations, has dedicated itself tothe missing aspect—providing authentic news.

Over the years, the portal has continued toprovide authentic news on a daily basisthrough its various sections such as Main News,Mantralaya, Maharashtra in the News, SuccessStories, Schemes, First Person, SomethingWorth The Read, Jai Maharashtra, Dilkhulas,Net-Bhet, Search a Job, Photographs Pavilion, Video Pavilion and others.

Putting together the vast information and helping visitors has only beenpossible by the impeccable teamwork at Mahanews. The team, after readingall the newspapers published from the State and confirming the informationby visiting various websites, uploads the information on the portal. InMaharashtra, anyone, from fourth standard pass to graduate in any discipline,has the opportunity to join Government service. Here, collection and deliveryof information is no less than a public service.

—Gajanan Patil

LOKRAJYA

Launch of special edition The April 2015 issue of Lokrajya—dedicated to Bharat Ratna Dr. BabasahebAmbedkar—was released by Minister for Social Justice, RajkumarBadole at Bharat Ratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Samajik Saptahheld at Gateway of India. The issue had special articles on the principalarchitect of India’s Constitution, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, his life and contributiontowards transforming India.

On the occasion, Rajkumar Badole declared year 2015-16 to be observedas Social Justice Year by the State Government. Director General, DGIPR,Chandrashekhar Oak informed about the contents of the issue. PrincipalSecretary, Social Justice, Ujjwal Uke; Commissioner, Social Welfare, RanjeetSingh Deol; Commissioner, Food and Drugs Administration, HarshdeepKamble; Regional Deputy Commissioner, Yashwant More; AssistantCommissioner, Mumbai City, Shere; Assistant Commissioner, MumbaiSuburban, Avinash Devsatwar; Income Tax Commissioner, Subachan Ram;Amol Madame of Prajasatak Bharat Sanghtana; Director, DGIPR, DevendraBhujbal and others were among the dignitaries present.

Bhikuji Idate (right), Chairman, National Commissionon VJNT, during the talk

JAI MAHARASHTRA

From the life of BabasahebProduced by Directorate General ofInformation and Public Relations, JaiMaharashtra is a platform for variouswelfare schemes and policies of theGovernment. To discuss important issuesof society, the programme invites expertsfrom various fields. This time, the list ofexperts invited to the studio includedArvind Paranjape, Director, NehruPlanetarium, for a discussion onOpportunities in Astronomy; President’saward winner Dr. Kalpana Kharade on the

occasion of BlindnessEradication Week;Shafaat Khan,Head, Departmentof Dramatics,Mumbai University,

on World Theatre Day;Bhikuji Idate, Chairman,

National Commission on Vimukta Jati andNomadic Tribes (VJNT) on thecontribution of VJNT Commission towardsbuilding Maharashtra; State ElectionCommissioner, J. S. Saharia onpreparations for local self-governmentelections; M.V. Deshmukh, Consultant,Fire Fighting Services; and Vikas Kharge,Secretary, Department of Forests.

In his talk, Bhikuji Idate threw lighton the life of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. Hetalked about the many incidents from thelife of the leader, and how the path ofstruggle can be inspirational even today.He also shared information about theNational Commission on VJNT.

—Atul Pande

Hindi film actor andproducer, Shashi Kapoorhas been selected for the

46th Dadasaheb PhalkeAward forhis outstanding contribution tothe growth and development ofIndian cinema. The seasonedactor will be given the award onthe 62nd National Film Awardsceremony in May in New Delhi.

Born in 1938, Shashi Kapoor,a reluctant actor initially, startedas an employee of Prithvi Theatre,the drama company started by his

father Prithviraj Kapoor. He had already started his tryst withcinema, appearing in several films as a child actor. In Aag(1948) and Awaara (1951), he played the younger version ofthe character played by his elder brother and acclaimed actor–producer, Raj Kapoor.

Shashi Kappor was with Prithvi Theatre until 1960, whenit closed down. But, the actor was keen to learn all aspects ofthe craft—from on-stage acting to backstage lighting,arranging props and management. Soon, he was working attwo companies—Raj Kapoor’s R.K. Studios, where he wasstudying the technical aspects of cinema, and Shakespeareana,a touring theatre company managed by Geoffrey Kendal. Hisdebut as a leading man in films came only in 1961 withDharmputra. Shashi Kapoor was instrumental in reviving thePrithvi Theatre, which today his daughter Sanjana manages.Considered Indian cinema’s first real crossover actor,

Shashi Kapoor also did several Hollywood movies. Hisextensive filmography, which comprises of more than 100Hindi films such as Jab Jab Phool Khile, Deewar, KabhiKabhi, Trishul, Satyam Shivam Sundaram and NamakHalaal and English films—notably those made by MerchantIvory Productions—such as The Householder, ShakespeareWallah, Bombay Talkie and Heat and Dust. Siddhartha andMuhafiz are his other foreign films.Shashi Kapoor was an assistant director to late actor Sunil

Dutt when he made Post Box 999. He turned director with1991 Hindi film Ajooba and produced films such as 36Chowringhee Lane and Utsav. Arun Jaitely, Minister for

Information and Broadcasting, con-gratulated the senior actor, ina statement. Rajyavardhan SinghRathore, Minister of State for Infor-mation and Broadcasting, said in atweet, “his sensitive portrayal ofhuman emotions has touched manya heart”. Shashi Kapoor has wonthe National Film Award thrice andwas conferred the Padma Bhushanin 2011.

Instituted in 1969, Dadasaheb PhalkeAward is given in thememory of Dadasaheb Phalke, the father of Indian cinema,who made India’s first full-length feature film, RajaHarishchandra in 1913. The award consists of the swarnkamal or golden lotus, a prize of `10 lakh and a shawl. It ispresented annually at the National Film Awards ceremonyorganised by the Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry ofInformation and Broadcasting.


HONOURDADASAHEB PHALKE AWARD

ShashiKapoor is thethird in hisfamily to get theDadasahebPhalke Award,after his fatherPrithvirajKapoor andelder brotherRaj Kapoor

BORNFORTHELIMELIGHTNoted veteran actor Shashi Kapoorhas been chosen for the highestaward in Indian cinema, DadasahebPhalke award for the year 2014

Eminent Marathi litterateur, novelist, critic,poet, academic, a relentless advocate of theliterary movements and leader of the post-

1960s LittleMagazineMovement, Dr. BhalchandraNemade was conferred the Golden JubileeJnanpith Award at the hands of the PrimeMinister, NarendraModi onApril 25, in NewDelhi.Dr. Nemade was honoured with the highest literaryaward for his immense valuable literarycontribution. He is 76.The award ceremony held at the Balayogi

Auditorium of the Parliament Library witnessedeminent litterateurs across the country. Afterreceiving the prestigious award, Dr. Nemade said,“The award has further increased myresponsibility. Though receiving such awards feelsgood, however, simultaneously it reminds you ofshouldering more responsibility and dutiestowards society.”Dr. Nemade, whose novel Kosala (cocoon),

written in 1963, changed the dimensions ofMarathi novel. “I shall always abide by mycommitment to write what is right. Writing iswhat binds me to my readers and to humanity,”he said after accepting the award.

Famous for his Hindu and Hindu JagnyachiSamrudhha Adgal, he has inscribed his nameprominently in the annals of Indian literature.Speaking at the awards ceremony, Prime

Minister Narendra Modi said that Dr. Nemade’sworks would inspire future generations, whilepointing out that creative writing has the capacityto touch lives.“Traversing an expansive timeline, the manner

in which Hindu leaps through space and time,wielding language and experimenting, withstructure is unprecedented in Marathi letters.Hindu prominently showcases Nemade’slinguistic scholarship, his creative dexterity withwords and an encyclopaedic civilisationalconsciousness,” a statement from the Jnanpith’sselection committee said.After Kosala, Dr. Nemade presented a different

protagonist, Changadev Patil, through his fournovels Bidhar, Hool, Jarila and Jhool. Anothertetralogy begins with Hindu—JagnyachiSamruddha Adgal in 2010 having Khanderao, thearchaeologist as its protagonist. The novel Hinduhad won him critical acclaim.As a critic, Dr. Nemade has always underlined

deshivad, a theory that negates globalisation orinternationalism, asserting the value of writers’native heritage. “Marathi literature ought to tryto revive its native base and explore its indigenoussources,” he has often urged.Born in 1938 in Sangavi village in North

Maharashtra's Khandesh region, Dr. Nemadegraduated in literature from Fergusson College,Pune. He post-graduated in Linguistics fromDeccan College, Pune and English Literaturefrom the Mumbai University. With a Ph. D. andD. Lit from North Maharashtra University, Dr.Nemade has taught English, Marathi andcomparative literature at various universities,including the School of Oriental and AfricanStudies, London. He received a Sahitya AkademiAward in 1990 for his critical work TeekaSvayanwar.Dr. Bhalchandra Nemade is the fourth Marathi

writer to receive the prestigious literary award.He was chosen for the honour by a 10-memberselection board headed by noted scholar, writerand critic Namar Singh of the Bhartiya Jnanpithon February 7. Instituted in 1961, JnanpithAward is given to any Indian citizen writing in theofficial languages of India. The award carries asum of `11 lakh, a citation plaque and a bronzereplica of Goddess Saraswati. He was conferred aPadma Shri in 2011.


PRIDEJNANPITH AWARD

Acclaimed writer, Dr. Bhalchandra Nemade is aproud recipieint of the 50th Jnanpith Award, one ofIndia’s topmost literary awards, for his invaluablecontribution to the field of literature

The awardhas furtherincreased myresponsibility.Though receivingsuch awards feelsgood, however,simultaneously itreminds you ofshouldering moreresponsibilityand dutiestowards society—BhalchandraNemade

THEWINNINGNOTE

Noted writer Dr. Bhalchandra Nemade (left) receiving the 50th Jnanpith award fromPrime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi

Balwant Moreshwar Purandare—a histo-rian, writer and theatre personality fromMaharashtra has been selected for the

Maharashtra Bhushan award. The octogenarianhistorian, Babasaheb Purandare’s major workshave contributed much to the cult of Marathawarrior king, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Babasaheb Purandare, 92, is known as ShivShahir because of his bestselling narrative RajaShiva Chatrapati and Janata Raja, a popularplay replete with medieval Indian pageantrythat recreates the 17th century atmosphere inMaharashtra through incidents in ChhatrapatiShivaji Maharaj’s life. The Maratha historycommentator, who made Chhatrapati Shivaji

Maharaj’s biography his sole goal in life, believed,“Through history, one should be searching forwhat the nation is endowed with, not be miredwith the facts of peace treaties and battles.”

He was one of the key leaders of the BalThackeray-led Shiv Sena in the 1970s. Hisnationalistic vision of Chhatrapati ShivajiMaharaj and the Marathas, as embodied in hisrecreation of the king’s life and times, is atodds with the more realistic assessment ofChhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s importance inIndian history and society by great historians likeSir Jadunath Sarkar (in his 1919 masterpieceShivaji and His Times) and left-liberals inMaharashtra like Govind Pansare (in hisbestselling pamphlet Who Was Shivaji?).

Babasaheb Purandare has published severalbooks like Purandaryanchi Daulat, Purandar-yanchi Naubat, Gadsanch—a treatise on thehistory of forts and fortresses, Shelarkhind, andlast but not the least Raja Shiv Chhatrapati, apublication that has almost 16 editions and hasreached over five lakh households to date.

He wrote forAcharyaAtre’s newspaper and alsoworked for the fortnightly magazine Manus. Hetogether with senior historian and novelist G. N.Dandekar also known as GoNiDa became theharbingers of the heritage of Chhatrapati ShivajiMaharaj’s life history to the new generation.Babasaheb participated whole-heartedly in thepost-independence Dadra–Nagar–Haveli freedomstruggle, along with Sudhir Phadke.

Although Saswad was his ancestral village,Babasaheb Purandare spent the better part of hislife in Pune. Later, he started working at theBharat Itihas Sanshodhan Mandal (IndianHistory Research Society), where he met hismentor, historian G.H. Khare. It was here thatBabasaheb Purandare began his research inhistory. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s biography,he believes, “is a study of creation of a person’scharacter.” He aptly showcases and unfoldsthe character, traits and persona of ChhatrapatiShivaji through his life and times in his writings,discourses, commentaries and plays. A sense ofpride in history, research orientation and per-severance to seek the truth together with hissharp intellect, analytical abilities and hispresentation skills, be it through his writing ororation, has inspired many to take up scholasticstudy of the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

The Maharashtra Bhushan award wasinstituted in 1995 and carries a prize of `5 lakh, acitation and a memento.

RECOGNITIONMAHARASHTRA BHUSHAN

THEJEWEL INTHECROWNOctogenarian historian Shiv Shahir BabasahebPurandare has been chosen for theprestigious Maharashtra Bhushan award

Throughhistory, oneshould besearching for whatthe nation isendowed with,not be miredwith the facts ofpeace treatiesand battles—BabasahebPurandare


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