In its first cabinet meeting after the demise of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, the Maharashtra government paid tribute to him by approving three major proposals that he had personally pushed for during his time. All three decisions were issues Ajit Pawar had directed departments to prepare notes on for the Cabinet's consideration. This comes days after the NCP leader was killed in a plane crash in Baramati on January 28.
Here are Ajit Pawar's three wishes:
Ratnapur to become Industrial Development hub
During the meeting, the Revenue Department handed over 1,000 acres of land in Pune's Ratnapur to the Industries Department for the establishment of an Industrial Development Corporation. This was one of Ajit Pawar's significant developmental visions for the region.
Officials noted that Pawar had earlier instructed departments to expedite paperwork for this project so that industrial activity in the region could gain momentum.
Rs 75 crore for Baramati Sports Complex
The Cabinet also sanctioned Rs 75 crore for the development of the Baramati Sports Complex. Ajit Pawar had been deeply invested in upgrading sports infrastructure in Baramati and had repeatedly emphasised the need for a world-class facility that could boost the district’s sporting ecosystem.
Green signal for 11 additional collector posts
In another significant administrative decision, the state government has approved the creation of 11 new Additional Collector posts. As per the information, Ajit Pawar had earlier asked the departments to prepare and present these proposals in the Cabinet to strengthen the administrative machinery.
Sunetra Pawar takes charge of official duties
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar on Tuesday assumed her ministerial duties at the state secretariat Mantralaya, 13 days after the death of her husband and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar. She was accompanied by senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders and her elder son Parth Pawar as she took her seat in the deputy CM's office, marking a poignant transition in the state's leadership. NCP leaders Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, Chhagan Bhujbal and Dhananjay Munde were among those present.
Ajit Pawar's death
It is to be noted here that the NCP chief died in a charter plane crash while travelling from Mumbai to Bramanti on Wednesday morning (January 28). 66-year-old Pawar was the nephew of veteran politician and NCP founder Sharad Pawar, and the cousin of Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule. He was also the longest-serving Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra non-consecutively. He served in the position for six terms within various governments. He had worked as Deputy Chief Minister in the cabinets of Prithviraj Chavan, Devendra Fadnavis, Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde. He is survived by his wife, Sunetra Pawar and two sons, Jay and Parth Pawar.
