Mumbai, March 10 – Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik informed the Legislative Council on Tuesday that the state government is committed to rehabilitating eligible encroachers residing on the periphery of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP).
A comprehensive decision will be announced shortly. Responding to a motion by Member Pravin Darekar, Minister Naik detailed the phased planning for the rehabilitation process.
He said that during the first phase, out of 11,359 claims scrutinised, 299 residents were found eligible; their relocation is pending. In the second phase, the government is reviewing cases for an additional 13,486 encroachers.
The Minister revealed a proposal to construct "Ground Plus One" (G+1) houses on 20 acres in the Aarey Colony area to rehabilitate about 2,200 tribal families. A meeting has been scheduled at the Chief Minister’s Office to expedite these plans.
Minister Naik instructed relevant departments to ensure there are no obstacles to providing or repairing basic amenities, such as water supply and sanitation, for settlements outside the core National Park boundaries.
Responding to another question, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis informed the Legislative Assembly that the police have concluded that there was no criminal intent or embezzlement in the alleged Dhule district minority scholarship scam.
Consequently, the police have decided to file a ‘B-Summary’ report (closure report) in the matter. The question was raised in the House by MLA Amit Satam, with participation from members Nitin Raut and Harish Pimpale. In the circumstances, the Chief Minister stated that the scholarship funds were not diverted into personal accounts for private gain.
"The concerned institution had the authority to utilise the funds for infrastructure, such as building walls. However, per regulations, the expenditure should have been processed through the Principal's account. Instead, the funds were transferred to the institution's account for the same work," the CM explained.
He further noted that while this is a procedural lapse, the police inquiry found no evidence of misappropriation of funds. Final charges will not be pursued, the Chief Minister confirmed, adding that a necessary administrative inquiry into the procedural irregularities has been completed.
Minister of State for Home, Yogesh Kadam, informed the Legislative Council that the state government is closely monitoring anti-drug operations in Amravati city.
He announced that a high-level meeting will be convened in the next two months to review the situation.
Responding to a calling attention motion by Member Sanjay Khodke, the Minister shared that between 2021 and 2026, Amravati police registered 29 drug-related cases and took action against 101 accused individuals.
He highlighted a recent successful operation by Nagpur Gate Police Station, which resulted in the seizure of about 2 kg of MD (Mephedrone). He emphasised that the state’s Anti-Narcotics Task Force is fully active, with personnel receiving specialised training and increased manpower.
He added that the Chief Minister has approved incentive benefits for the officers and staff of this unit.
"Our crackdown on drugs based on intelligence inputs will remain consistent and aggressive across the state," he asserted.