Maharashtra CM Fadnavis asks departments for list of best schemes

Ahead of the 2019 polls, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has asked all government departments to present their top five policy decisions or schemes that have, in the last four years, made a significant impact on citizens.

These are the decisions that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will flag as its achievements during the polls next year.

The Fadnavis-led government, which completes four years in power on October 31, has initiated a performance review of all departments so that the CM can keep a ready reckoner of achievements.

On Monday, Fadnavis held reviews of 12 departments including revenue, agriculture, public works, water resources, rural development and housing. While secretaries heading the departments were asked to make presentations, the concerned ministers and ministers of state (junior ministers) were also asked to be present for the review.

Another two reviews of the remaining departments will be held in the coming weeks.

“The CM is clear that performance has to be linked to the impact the decisions taken have had on the people. This is what we will highlight when we go to ask for votes,” said a minister, present at the meeting, who did not want to be named. “One of the complaints against our government is that the bureaucracy is not within our control. The review meeting also helps to plug the gap between officials and ministers, and gives them a clear direction of what is expected from them.’’

Among the ministers present at the review were revenue minister Chandrakant Patil, rural development minister Pankaja Munde, education minister Vinod Tawde, housing minister Prakash Mehta, and industries minister Subhash Desai.

While some departments like water resources fared well in the review, several others like agriculture, housing and education were asked to do better.

“We presented the top six decisions of the department starting with building underground pipe distribution network that will irrigate 6.14 lakh hectares of land to completing 118 irrigation projects. These are decisions that have a direct positive bearing on the state’s agrarian crisis and farmers,’’ said a senior official from the department, who was present at the meeting.

The water resources department was asked by the CM to publish a booklet of its achievements as a ready reckoner for the government.

The chief minister’s office (CMO) will also collate the most impact-worthy decisions of the government after the reviews are complete.