Mumbai: With the code of conduct for the Lok Sabha polls likely to be announced anytime, the state government took 22 decisions in less than two hours on Tuesday.
In an attempt to pacify the agitating Dhangar community the government has decided to name the Solapur University after the Dhangar icon Ahilyadevi Holkar, the queen of erstwhile Indore kingdom. Minister for animal husbandry, Mahadev Jankar, said that the government has taken this decision, in light of the huge demand from the people.
The Cabinet also decided to extend the benefits of the 7th Pay Commission to the employees of non-agriculture universities and the private education institutes associated with recognised universities. This will hike salaries of around 27,000 employees. It will have a financial burden of Rs 2,584 crore of which the state and the Centre will bear half each.
The state government on Tuesday also gave its principle approval to build two 660 Mega Watt (MW) capacity power generation units based on super critical coal technology at Koradi, to cater to the growing demand for the same.
The state cabinet has also given its approval for raising equity capital to the extent of 20 per cent of the cost of the project, once it gets approval from the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC).
The project would be developed in phases with thework on the first unit of 660 MW, which is scheduled to complete in 45 months while the second is expected to complete in 51 months fromthe date its commencement. Energy minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule emphasised the need for the project saying that considering the scale of industrialization and the development of infrastructure being undertaken in the state, the demand for electricity is rapidly growing in the city.
To tackle Thane city's traffic woes, the state cabinet approved the proposal to start circular Metro railway project within the city. The cabinet also approved setting up of a special purpose vehicle (SPV) for the proposed Purandar international airport in Pune.
