MUMBAI: In a relief to Mumbai residents, the Maharashtra cabinet on Monday decided not to increase the property tax in the city, where civic polls are due since 2022, and also gave its nod to hold job fairs in the state. A proposal to maintain status quo on the property tax was moved by the urban development department and cleared at a weekly cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde here.
This decision would save Mumbai residents from an additional financial burden of Rs 736 crore, said an official statement without providing further details.
The cabinet cleared another proposal to hold employment fairs at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in central Maharashtra covering the entire Marathwada region (eight districts) as well as in Nashik, Pune and Konkan divisions.
Titled the ‘Namo Mega Job Fair’, such an event has already been held at Nagpur, which garnered a huge response, said the statement.
There will be six such fairs where at least two lakh jobs will be generated, it adding, the cabinet approved an expenditure of Rs 30 crore for organising these events.
A social justice department proposal to launch the ‘Chief Minister Vayoshri Scheme’ for senior citizens was also cleared at the cabinet meeting.
Under the scheme, centres for mental well-being and yoga therapy will be set up for senior citizens. At least 15 lakh senior citizens who are above 65 years of age would benefit from it, said the statement.
The state cabinet also approved a proposal of the urban development department to extend the Urban Renewal Mission till March 2030 and expand it to all municipal councils and nagar parishads.
The cabinet cleared the proposal to construct railway overbridges as well as land acquisition for national highways and sewage treatment schemes under the mission. These works were earlier implemented by separate government departments, resulting in more time for execution.
The forest department’s proposal to encourage farmers to take up bamboo cultivation was also cleared by the cabinet. Under the proposal, farmers will get subsidy of Rs 175 per sapling for three years.
The industry department’s proposal to encourage villagers in honey bee farming was also cleared. Under it, the state will provide 80 per cent funding for procurement of honey bee boxes while the rest of the cost is to be borne by the beneficiaries.
The forest department had proposed leopard safari project in Junnar tehsil of Pune district, which was cleared by the cabinet.
The detailed project report has been approved by the Central Zoo Authority and Rs 80.43 crore has been earmarked.
Junnar, home to Shivneri fort, the birth place of Shivaji Maharaj as well as ancient caves and trade routes such as Naneghat, will be the first tourism tehsil in the state.
The cabinet approved Rs 876.25 crore for the expansion of Shirdi airport. The work includes land acquisition, rehabilitation of project affected people, expansion of the airstrip and soil testing, a state government release said.
The water resources department’s proposal for Rs 883.78 crore lift irrigation scheme for Sangola tehsil in Solapur district was cleared by the cabinet, the release said.
As part of the project, water will be lifted from Neera river. It will irrigate 13,055 hectares of land in Sangola, the release said.
