First full Cabinet in eight years to discuss Marathwada

The first full-fledged Cabinet meeting in eight years will be held at Aurangabad on Tuesday, in which proposals about the development of the Marathwada region will be discussed, sources said.

The proposals will include the implementation of ‘water grid’ system along the lines of Telangana, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu to overcome the scarcity of drinking water in the region.

The sources added that an announcement would be made about developing tourist spots while focusing on industrial growth and the development of the second and third phase of Delhi–Mumbai Industrial Corridor. “The chief minister will chair a meeting on the progress of development of Jijabai memorial situated in Sindkhedraja in Buldhana district. The government had sanctioned Rs 200 crore for the work,” said a senior bureaucrat.

The meeting’s focus will be to take corrective steps to enhance the irrigation potential in the drought-prone Marathwada through ‘Jalyukta Shivar,’ the officer said.

Leader of Opposition Dhananjay Munde, who hails from Beed district in Marathwada, said that the irrigation schemes that are below 600 acres are pending the Governor’s approval for implementation. The CM should take initiative to get it approved, which will be a game changer for the region, he said. “We have requested CM to hold a meeting with Congress-NCP legislators from Marathwada before the Cabinet meeting. We want to point out the ground level reality to the CM,” Mr Munde said.