Maharashtra government to seek Rs 4,000 crore Central aid for drought relief

The state will seek Rs4,000 crore Central aid for granting relief to drought-affected farmers in Marathwada and other regions. The state cabinet on Thursday decided to send a detailed memorandum in this regard to the Centre.

The government has also decided to upgrade the forest training institute at Chandrapur and convert it as the state forest academy. It will henceforth be known as Chandrapur Forest Academy of Administration, Development and Management, and will impart education in wildlife management, and function as the apex body in forest department.

Chandrapur will also get a Bamboo Research and Training Centre to be set up at Chichpalli in the district, which has a large number of bamboo plantations. Maharashtra will soon declare a new bamboo policy and the institute will impart training in matters related to bamboo.

Another cabinet decision was to give extension to the three regional statutory development corporations for five years, from May 1, 2015. The Union home ministry has already granted them various extensions till April 30, 2015.
The state government wants their tenure extended to April 30, 2020, which it believes will help in clearing the backlog in development in regions like Vidarbha, Marathwada and rest of Maharashtra. These corporations were set up on April 30, 1994.