Nagpur: Revenue Minister and Guardian Minister of Nagpur District, Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Saturday, has directed officials to ensure timely completion of pending irrigation projects, initiate immediate removal of encroachments from the Pench project, and submit village-wise proposals for setting up Talathi and Circle Officer offices across the district.
Presiding over a review meeting at the Planning Bhavan in Nagpur, Bawankule expressed concern that despite approvals given nearly 15 years ago, many important irrigation sub-projects and canals in the Vidarbha region remain incomplete. He urged heads of departments with pending projects to take personal responsibility and ensure completion within stipulated deadlines. In cases of technical bottlenecks at the ministry level, he instructed the appointment of dedicated officers to address and resolve issues on priority.
Eviction of Encroachments on 20% of Pench Project Land:
Highlighting the issue of encroachments on 20% of the Pench project land, Bawankule ordered the irrigation department to take full responsibility for clearing them within three months. He directed the formation of a joint task force comprising revenue, police, and irrigation officials, with periodic progress reports to be submitted for review.
He also called for detailed proposals on:
- Households located in submerged and backwater zones
- Farmers affected due to submergence
- Restoration and rehabilitation plans
- Use of waterlogged land for bamboo cultivation, grasslands, or solar projects
Field Visits and Direct Public Engagement Mandated:
To improve governance and delivery of welfare schemes, Bawankule stressed the need for Talathi and Mandal Adhikari offices at the village level. He instructed the district administration to identify suitable land and submit complete proposals, considering the number of officers and village accessibility.
Officials, including SDMs, Tehsildars, and Talathis, have been ordered to conduct weekly field visits, home visits, and public inspections to directly interact with residents. Special focus was laid on resolving land-related issues such as pattas, 7/12 extracts, and revenue grievances at the grassroots.
Development of Canal Roads and Drainage in NIT Areas:
Bawankule also emphasized the responsibility of Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) in developing internal village roads and drainage channels within its jurisdiction. He clarified that ownership lies solely with NIT, and work must be completed without passing the responsibility to other departments. He also instructed mapping of all village roads, including approach and internal roads, on display at respective Gram Panchayats.
To improve access to central housing schemes, he directed organization of special camps for online registration under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana in all villages.
Projects and Officers Reviewed:
The meeting was attended by MLAs Ashish Deshmukh, Charan Singh Thakur, Vikas Thakre, Collector Dr. Vipin Itankar, NIT Chairman Sanjay Mina, and senior officials from the Irrigation and PWD departments. Key project reviews included:
- Kochhi Barrage under Kanhan River Project
- Resettlement of submerged villages
- Chinchghat in Kuhi, and river projects at Kar River, Lakhmapur, and Salai Mokasa
- Jam Medium Project, which will benefit 4,576 hectares under the Maharashtra Irrigation Improvement Programme
The Guardian Minister concluded by urging departments to maintain accountability and adopt a mission-mode approach to deliver long-pending public works.
