Shivaji memorial to be ready by 2019, Maharashtra governor tells state assembly

Mumbai: Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao on Wednesday said the Shivaji Maharaj memorial off Mumbai coast will be completed by 2019. “I am happy to inform that all clearances have been obtained for constructing the national monument of revered Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj,” he said while addressing a joint sitting of the state Legislature. “A project management consultant has been appointed for the purpose. The government intends to complete the work before 2019,” he said. [caption id=“attachment_2665486” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao in a file photo. AFP [/caption] “On the occasion of the forthcoming 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in 2019, the government has drawn up plans to develop Wardha-Sevagram-Pavnar area, which would include development of basic infrastructure and civic amenities,” Rao said. The state government has already announced the construction of a memorial for Balasaheb Thackeray at Dadar, and action is being taken to set it up at the earliest, the governor said, adding in December 2015, the government allotted land in Aurangabad for a memorial of Gopinath Munde. “My government is serious about and sensitive to the Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute. During the hearing of the case on 12 September, 2014, the Supreme Court appointed ex-Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court, Manmohan Sarin as the Court Commissioner to record evidence,” Rao said. “The government has appointed the minister for public works department and co-operation as state coordinator to deal effectively with the problems faced by the Marathi-speaking people of Karnataka in the disputed areas,” he said. The governor said it has been decided to implement the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project, phase-II, in the coastal districts at a total cost of Rs 398 crore. To retain the state’s top rank in industrialisation, a vigorous Make in Maharashtra campaign has been initiated and various industry-friendly policies have been formulated, he said. Various government processes have been systemised and simplified for obtaining requisite permissions to ensure that Maharashtra remains a preferred destination for new industries, Rao said. In this regard, the governor said MAITRI has been proposed as a single window platform which will facilitate online application and disposal of 44 permissions across 15 departments using statutory powers under the Right to Services Act. Rao said, the state agriculture tenancy law has been amended, making it easy to purchase agriculture land for bonafide industrial purposes. Duly approved projects of state and central governments can now be granted land by district collectors. “Apart from ensuring ease of doing business, the government has approved a series of new industrial promotional policies. To attract more industries in Vidarbha and Marathwada, a policy of full exemption of Value Added Tax has been adopted,” the governor said. To promote FAB (manufacturing facility for silicon wafers used in semi-conductors) projects, a new electronics policy has been formulated, he said. Maharashtra is a pioneering state in formulating a new retail trade policy. Considering the increasing popularity of e-commerce and to incentivise establishment of logistics hubs, some tax concessions have been proposed, Rao said. Maharashtra Coastal Industrial Policy has been formulated to harness the immense economic potential of coastal areas, the governor said. “Maharashtra was honoured to host the Make in India Week recently organised by the Government of India in Mumbai. An ecosystem of simplified permits, progressive new industrial policies and inherent strength of the state in the industrial sector were presented before national and international industrialists,” he said. “As a result, the state has attracted investment including foreign investment of more than Rs 8 lakh crore which will create a potential for employment of 30 lakh people,” Rao said. PTI