Mumbai, March 10 (NationPress) Maharashtra's Forest Minister, Ganesh Naik, announced to the Legislative Council that the state is dedicated to the rehabilitation of qualifying encroachers living near Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP).

A detailed decision regarding this matter will be revealed soon. In response to a motion led by Member Pravin Darekar, Minister Naik elaborated on the stepwise approach for the rehabilitation initiative.

He mentioned that in the initial phase, from the 11,359 claims assessed, 299 individuals were deemed eligible, and their relocation is currently pending. The second phase involves reviewing an additional 13,486 cases of encroachers.

The Minister proposed the construction of Ground Plus One (G+1) residences on 20 acres within the Aarey Colony area to accommodate approximately 2,200 tribal families. A meeting has been organized at the Chief Minister’s Office to hasten these initiatives.

Minister Naik instructed pertinent departments to eliminate any obstacles in providing or repairing essential services, including water and sanitation, for settlements beyond the core boundaries of the National Park.

In a separate inquiry, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis informed the Legislative Assembly that the police concluded there was no criminal activity or embezzlement involved in the alleged minority scholarship scam in Dhule district.

As a result, the police will submit a ‘B-Summary’ report (closure report) regarding the case. This question was raised in the House by MLA Amit Satam, with contributions from members Nitin Raut and Harish Pimpale. The Chief Minister clarified that the scholarship funds were not misappropriated for personal gain.

The concerned institution was authorized to utilize the funds for infrastructural developments like building walls, but the expenditures should have gone through the Principal's account. Instead, the funds were transferred to the institution's account for similar work,” the CM clarified.

He further mentioned that although this represents a procedural error, the police investigation found no evidence of fund misappropriation. Consequently, final charges will not be pursued, and an administrative inquiry into the procedural discrepancies has been successfully concluded.

Minister of State for Home, Yogesh Kadam, informed the Legislative Council that the state government is vigilantly overseeing anti-drug operations in Amravati city.

He announced that a high-level meeting will take place in the next two months to assess the current situation. In response to a motion by Member Sanjay Khodke, the Minister revealed that between 2021 and 2026, Amravati police have documented 29 drug-related incidents and taken action against 101 individuals.

He highlighted a recent successful operation conducted by the Nagpur Gate Police Station that resulted in the confiscation of around 2 kg of MD (Mephedrone). He emphasized that the state’s Anti-Narcotics Task Force is fully operational, with personnel receiving specialized training and an increase in manpower.

He also stated that the Chief Minister has approved incentive benefits for the officers and staff involved in this unit.

“Our drug crackdown, based on intelligence inputs, will continue to be relentless and robust throughout the state,” he asserted.