Administration Must Work in Development Mode, Not Merely as a Regulatory Mechanism: Chief Secretary Rajesh Agrawal

Gadchiroli, June 2026: Maharashtra Chief Secretary Rajesh Agrawal has stressed that government departments should move beyond a purely regulatory role and adopt a development-oriented approach to ensure that the benefits of welfare schemes reach every eligible household.

Speaking during an interaction with residents of Gurnoli village in Kurkheda taluka under the “Special Survey and Service Prosperity Campaign,” Agrawal said that the Forest Department, Police Administration, and all government agencies must shed their “regulatory mindset” and function in “development mode” to accelerate inclusive growth.

The Chief Secretary visited Gurnoli Gram Panchayat, one of the villages selected for the campaign, and held direct discussions with villagers. Residents raised issues related to agriculture, irrigation, education, employment, women’s empowerment, housing, healthcare, and infrastructure.

Among those present were Additional Divisional Commissioner Madhavi Khode, Deputy Inspector General of Police Yogesh Kumar, Padma Shri awardee Dr. Parashuram Khune, Zilla Parishad Chief Executive Officer Suhas Gade, Superintendent of Police M. Ramesh, UMED CEO Nilesh Sagar, Assistant Collector Arun M., Additional District Collector Sanjay Asawale, Sub-Divisional Officer Prasenjit Pradhan, and other officials.

Agrawal noted that due to the past influence of Left-Wing Extremism, many government schemes could not effectively reach remote areas. However, with the changing situation, the government’s focus is now on ensuring that every eligible family benefits from welfare initiatives.

He said that the Special Survey and Service Prosperity Campaign is being implemented in 12 villages of Gadchiroli district with the objective of linking all eligible beneficiaries to government schemes. He assured residents that no deserving citizen would be deprived of benefits due to the absence of KYC, Aadhaar, or other documents, as special camps would be organised within villages to address such issues.

The Chief Secretary also emphasized effective implementation of individual and community forest rights schemes and called for greater cooperation between citizens and the administration to accelerate development. He highlighted the immense potential of students in Gadchiroli and said that with proper opportunities, they could excel at the national level.

During the interaction, villagers highlighted several concerns, including pending payments for paddy procurement, irrigation facilities, higher minimum support prices for paddy and maize, warehouse construction, crop losses caused by elephant movement, inadequate electricity supply for agricultural pumps, construction of river barrages, and rejuvenation of village ponds.

In the education sector, residents sought additional teachers for seven classes at the Gurnoli Zilla Parishad School, introduction of KG-1 and KG-2 classes, establishment of study centres and libraries at the Gram Panchayat level, and employment-oriented facilities for youth.

Representatives of women’s self-help groups requested a dedicated hall for village federations, opportunities for entrepreneurship, and timely payment of honorariums to ASHA workers. Villagers also called for improved healthcare services and better medical facilities in the area.

Infrastructure-related demands included road construction in Shivtola and Tekditola, resolution of online attendance server issues affecting workers under the employment guarantee scheme, and release of pending housing scheme instalments.

Educated residents of the district also proposed granting Gadchiroli special status as a tourism district, conducting Class-III recruitment processes at the district level, promoting skill development, clearing pending disability allowances, introducing scholarship schemes for students, and extending government honorarium benefits to artists associated with the traditional Zhadipatti theatre movement.

Additional Divisional Commissioner Madhavi Khode encouraged villagers to raise their concerns without hesitation and assured them that the administration would firmly support citizens. She urged residents to report any delays or negligence by government officials.

Earlier, In-charge District Collector Nitin Gavande briefed attendees on the campaign, explaining that the initiative aims to identify implementation challenges directly from citizens and resolve them effectively.

Officials informed that the campaign has already resulted in successful implementation of several welfare schemes in Gurnoli, with 100 percent saturation achieved in multiple programmes.

Following the village interaction, Chief Secretary Rajesh Agrawal visited the World Bank-assisted Nayanpur Farmer Producer Company Smart Project in Wadsa taluka and the Deulgaon paddy procurement centre operated by the Tribal Development Corporation in Kurkheda taluka. Senior district officials and local residents were also present during the visits.