Will the Maharashtra government enforce action against those obstructing farm and village access roads?

Mumbai, Aug 6 (NationPress) The Revenue Minister of Maharashtra, Chandrashekhar Bawankule, revealed on Wednesday that the state will implement a thorough strategy aimed at enhancing farm and village access roads by the end of September. This initiative will include strict measures against those who hinder the construction of these vital roads to guarantee effective execution.

Minister Bawankule elaborated that to bring this strategy to fruition, three discussions involving a study group made up of officials from the Revenue, Rural Development, and Employment Guarantee Scheme departments will be convened. He affirmed that the committee will hold three meetings and submit a conclusive report to the cabinet by the end of September. The success of this initiative largely depends on the involvement of the MLAs.

Committee members have proposed imposing fines on individuals obstructing road construction to ensure successful implementation. The inaugural meeting of the committee, tasked with formulating a comprehensive strategy for enhancing farm and village access roads, was convened on Wednesday at the Mantralaya, chaired by Minister Bawankule, according to a government release.

Present at the meeting were Rural Development Minister Jaykumar Gore, Employment Guarantee and Horticulture Minister Bharat Gogawale, and Minister of State for Finance and Planning Ashish Jaiswal, along with committee member MLAs and senior officials from various departments.

“Frequently, even with 90 percent of farmers in agreement, road construction is stalled due to the resistance from just 10 percent of the population. MLA Abhimanyu Pawar insisted on applying penal measures against these obstructers, proposing that the expenses for road construction be reclaimed from them, and if necessary, invoking Section 353. Rural Development Minister Jaykumar Gore also highlighted the necessity for legal frameworks to address those who hinder road projects,” the release mentioned.

As funding is a significant concern for this initiative, MLA Satyajit Deshmukh suggested establishing a distinct budgetary allocation. The option of procuring funds through the Employment Guarantee Scheme and the District Planning Committee (DPDC) was also discussed.

Recognizing that village access roads will greatly benefit rural communities, Settlement Commissioner of Land Records Suhas Diwase recommended documenting all roads in the 7/12 land records, outlining their boundaries, and assigning survey numbers. Additionally, it was suggested that the ownership of these roads should remain with the Revenue Department.

Village access roads are to be constructed with a minimum width of six meters and should be usable throughout the year. MLA Hemant Patil proposed that the authority for these projects be granted to tehsildars instead of gram panchayats to accelerate progress.

Minister of Employment Guarantee Scheme Bharat Gogawale expressed that this plan is essential for strengthening farmers, while Minister of State Ashish Jaiswal set a target for the plan’s implementation to be completed within two years.