State hits mission mode, takes a slew of decisions

Maharashtra govt gears up for elections with decisions like mandatory mention of mother's name in documents, land acquisition in Ayodhya, housing for mill workers.

Mumbai: Ahead of the announcement Lok Sabha elections, the Maharashtra government on Monday shifted gears into mission mode and took a slew of decisions including making it mandatory to mention one’s mother’s first name in government documents, approving land acquisition in Ayodhya for construction of a Maharashtra Bhavan, and providing tenements to workers of 58 defunct textile mills. The decisions were taken during the state cabinet meeting.

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Change in format of name

The change in format of names in government documents would impact the maximum number of people. As per the new format, the applicant’s name would have to be followed by the mother’s first name, the father’s first name and the surname. Names of babies born on or after May 1, 2024 would also have to be recorded in the same format in documents such as academic certificates, revenue documents (property cards), salary slips, and service books.

“The state public health department has been directed to consult the central government on whether this can be done for birth and death registrations as well and take necessary decisions,” said a senior health official.

Married women can continue to record their names in the earlier format, mentioning their name followed by their husband’s first name and the surname, while unmarried women have been given an option to choose between the old and new formats. “They can make changes on property documents in the new format if they wish to,” said an official from the chief minister’s office (CMO). Orphans have been exempted from the decision considering the challenges involved in identifying their parents.

Soon after the decision, chief minister Eknath Shinde and his two deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar changed their name plates outside their respective offices in Mantralaya.

Land acquisition in Ayodhya

The state cabinet gave its approval to acquire 9,420.55 square metres of land in Ayodhya. Valued at approximately ₹67.14 crore, the plot is located in Shahanavajpur, under Sector 8D as per the Uttar Pradesh Housing and Development Board. Once Maharashtra Bhavan is constructed on this plot, residents of the state would be able to enjoy a comfortable stay in the religious town at reasonable rates.

Housing for mill workers

The state cabinet decided to provide tenements to workers of 58 defunct textile mills and allocated a sum of ₹1,500 crore from the funds of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for the purpose. The tenements would be constructed courtesy a joint venture under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban). A fund ₹3,000 crore would be provided by the state housing department.