The Maharashtra Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, on Tuesday, 26 May 2026, approved renaming the Sawantwadi Railway Station after the late Madhu Dandavate, widely regarded as the architect of the Konkan Railway. The station will be rechristened 'Lokmanya Madhu Dandavate Railway Terminus' following formal clearance from the Central Government.

Who Was Madhu Dandavate

The late Madhu Dandavate served as both Railway Minister and Union Finance Minister during his distinguished political career. His persistent advocacy and follow-up on railway connectivity for the Konkan region is credited with transforming the Konkan Railway project from a long-deferred vision into reality. The people of Konkan have long held that his foresight was decisive in launching the railway, according to the government release.

A demand to honour him by naming a key station on the Konkan Railway route after him had been pending for several years. The Cabinet's decision fulfils that long-standing regional aspiration.

Next Steps on the Renaming

The Cabinet also approved submitting the renaming proposal to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Railways for final central clearance. The renaming will take effect only after that approval is received.

Transfer Deadline Extended for Census Duty

In a separate decision, the Cabinet approved extending the deadline for general transfers of Maharashtra state government employees for 2026 to 30 June 2026. The extension is necessitated by the ongoing first phase of Census 2027, during which house listing and housing census work is scheduled between 16 May 2026 and 14 June 2026. The Central Government has directed that employees assigned to census duties must not be transferred during this period.

To give this extension legal backing, an amendment to the Maharashtra Government Servants Regulation of Transfers and Prevention of Delay in Discharge of Official Duties Act, 2005 was approved. An ordinance will be issued with the Governor's assent to operationalise the change.

Stamp Duty Waiver for Nagpur Ring Road Projects

The Cabinet also cleared a waiver of stamp duty and registration fees on private land purchases for two major infrastructure projects: the New Nagpur International Business and Finance Centre and the New Outer Ring Road project. The finance centre is to be developed at Mauje Godhani and Mauja Ladgaon in the Hingna taluka of Nagpur district, while a 148-kilometre outer ring road and four transport hubs will encircle Nagpur city.

Both projects are to be built by the Nagpur Metropolitan Region Development Authority (NMRDA). The stamp duty and registration fees on the required land transactions would have amounted to approximately ₹637 crore. The waiver, granted under the provisions of the Maharashtra Stamp Act, is intended to accelerate project completion.

Land Allotment in Dombivli Industrial Area

Additionally, the Cabinet approved regularising an encroachment and allotting 4 acres and 25 gunthas of land to the Shri Pimpleshwar Devasthandir Trust located at Mauje Sagaon-Sonarpara in the Dombivli industrial area, Kalyan taluka, Thane district. The land will be handed over at a nominal rate for social work. The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) has been instructed to formulate a standard policy for handling encroachments on its land, and the Cabinet explicitly clarified that this case shall not be cited as a precedent.

With these decisions, the Fadnavis Cabinet has addressed a mix of long-pending regional demands and administrative necessities, with the Sawantwadi renaming likely to draw the most attention from the Konkan constituency ahead of future electoral cycles.