Every house under PMAY scheme to be solar-powered: Fadnavis

Mumbai, Dec 30 Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday directed the administration to conduct the "Maha Awas" campaign to ensure effective, expedited, and quality implementation of rural housing schemes with public participation saying that houses under this scheme should be solar-powered.

A minimum of 13 lakh houses will be approved under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). For this, the first instalment of Rs 450 crore should soon be distributed to the housing scheme beneficiaries.

The Chief Minister reviewed the 100-day action plan of the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department at Sahyadri Guest House.

While constructing rural roads in the state, they should be made of cement, instructed Chief Minister Fadnavis.

He emphasised that rural road projects should not be halted. The criteria for the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana and access roads should be redefined. Immediate action should be taken on the construction of ‘Sakav’ (causeways) and ‘Panand’ (access roads) in the Konkan region.

Funds have been allocated for every hamlet, and attention should be focused on monitoring how many of these projects have been completed, the Chief Minister said.

The Chief Minister directed that various schemes, including rural housing, Maharashtra State Rural Livelihood Mission (MARLM), Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, National Gram Swaraj Abhiyan, Mukhyamantri Gram Sadak Yojana, the Road and Bridge Repair Monitoring Program, and Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Gramin Tirtha Yatra Sthal Yojana (the Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Rural Pilgrimage Site Scheme), should be effectively implemented within 100 days.

Fadnavis on Monday also directed that efforts should be focused on migrant workers and they should be issued smart ration cards. Additionally, while issuing these smart cards, arrangements should be made to ensure that regardless of which state the migrant workers belong to, they can avail of food grains at any fair price shop in Maharashtra. The chief minister reviewed the Department of Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Protection’s 100-day action plan.

He asked officials to ensure the proper distribution of food grains to beneficiaries, electronic weighing scales should be installed at all fair price shops, and all ration card holders should be issued smart ration cards.

To ensure timely distribution of food grains to beneficiaries, work should be initiated to establish “One Village, One Warehouse.” Vehicles should be geo-tagged, and the “One Nation, One Ration Card” policy is being implemented in the state. In line with this, migrant workers should be prioritised for food grain distribution.

The chief minister instructed that to enable underprivileged beneficiaries to celebrate festivals with joy, the state distributes special festival rations during festive seasons. A calendar for this distribution should be prepared.

He further directed that in the upcoming year, 25 lakh new beneficiaries should be included in the public distribution system, and their e-KYC and verification should be completed. He emphasised the need to inspect ration cards of individuals who have not collected food grains even once in the past six months, remove deceased persons from ration cards, and re-verify beneficiaries above the age of 100. A special campaign should be conducted to include 14 lakh non-computerised beneficiaries in ration cards.

Meanwhile, the CM also directed the officials of transport department to enforce policies to scrap all vehicles older than 15 years and increase use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to reduce road accidents as per the accord signed with google and thereby keep the transport sector in the state safe, secure and sustainable, apart from releasing the EV Policy within next 3 years. He reviewed the next 100 day plans of the transport, ports and Maharashtra Airport Authority departments.

In order to enhance the transportation services, the state shall start bike taxi and maxi cab services. Also, over 13,000 old government vehicles shall be scrapped, the CM directed, and added that decisions regarding taxi, auto and bus rates too shall be made.

He asked the administration to formulate the SOPs for safety of the buses saying that engineering solutions need to be provided to avoid accidents in the Ghat region.

Development of ports and airports too was discussed during the meeting.

Source: IANS