Maharashtra Cabinet Upgrades Infrastructure Sub-Committee To Full-Fledged Cabinet Panel, Enhancing Decision-Making Power

The state cabinet on Tuesday upgraded the cabinet sub-committee on infrastructure into a full-fledged cabinet committee, a move expected to bring major political and administrative changes.

Composition of the Committee

The infra sub-committee, headed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, comprises the two deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, along with ministers Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Hasan Mushrif and Uday Samant, representing the three Mahayuti allies. The composition of the sub-committee was decided in March this year.

Decision-Making Authority Increased

As per the mandate, the committee evaluates each proposal for infrastructure development whose estimated cost is beyond Rs500 crore. The government resolution (GR) issued in July came with a crucial change, making it compulsory for all the state departments and authorities to submit infrastructure projects undertaken by them to the sub-committee. Earlier, authorities such as the MMRDA, CIDCO, MHADA, MSIDC, MIDC and others didn’t need to submit their proposals.

The new cabinet committee will now decide on projects worth over Rs25 crore, with its decisions final and not requiring state cabinet approval. This effectively makes it the most powerful body for roads, bridges, housing, metro, mono and other urban transport projects.

Political Oversight

According to the sources, the decision came when the CM wanted to keep a tab on the decision-making in the urban development department (UDD) and the housing department, along with the authorities under it, such as the MMRDA, CIDCO, MHADA and SRA. Both the departments – UDD and Housing are headed by Deputy CM Ekanth Shinde besides the MSRDC.