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Maha approves ₹230 cr plan to develop Phulewada
The plan includes beautification of the premises and acquisition of additional land, revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said after a special meeting of the cabinet sub-committee on OBCs
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The Maharashtra government has approved a ₹230 crore plan for the comprehensive development of Phulewada, the former residence of social reformers Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule in Pune, ahead of Jyotiba Phule’s 200th birth anniversary.
The plan includes beautification of the premises and acquisition of additional land, revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said on Wednesday after a special meeting of the cabinet sub-committee on Other Backward Classes (OBCs), which he chaired.
The meeting also decided that the memorial at Bhidewada, where Savitribai Phule started the first school for girls, would be completed within three weeks, according to an official release.
In a series of measures aimed at the welfare of OBCs, Vimukta Jatis and Nomadic Tribes (VJNT), the government decided to establish hostels with a capacity of 500 students each in all 36 districts of Maharashtra. The revenue department will provide land for the hostels at a nominal rate of ₹1, while the Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation (MSIDC) has prepared their designs.
The government will also seek to separate the budget for VJNT communities from the OBC budget to ensure that development funds reach these communities directly. A proposal for a separate budget head will be submitted to the finance department during the legislature session in December, the release said.
An independent committee will be constituted to conduct a socio-economic survey of VJNT communities and recommend measures to improve their access to development opportunities. The proposed panel will be modelled on the Shinde Committee formed to study the demands of the Maratha community.
The government will also take steps to fill the backlog of vacancies in posts reserved for OBCs across departments. The release said the backlog involved 27% reserved posts. The scope of Mahajyoti, an institution working for OBC welfare, will also be expanded on the lines of SARTHI, which promotes the social, educational and economic development of the Maratha, Kunbi and related communities.
Additionally, the government has decided to name welfare measures implemented by 11 key departments, including revenue, water supply and forests, as well as departments dealing with drought relief, after Mahatma Jyotiba Phule. Separate government resolutions will be issued for these initiatives, Bawankule said.
The meeting also discussed the proposed construction costs for OBC hostels. Plans and cost estimates submitted by three reputed architects will be examined at the next meeting before the government gives its final approval to the rates.
The decisions form part of the state government’s efforts to expand welfare measures for OBC and VJNT communities while developing sites associated with the Phules’ contribution to social reform and education.
