Maharashtra Cabinet Decisions

15,000 Posts to be Filled in Maharashtra Police Force; OMR System for Written Examination

Around 15,000 posts of constables in the Maharashtra Police Force will be filled. The recruitment process for police constables for 2024–25 was approved in today’s cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. As a special one-time provision, candidates who exceeded the prescribed age limit for these posts in 2022 and 2023 will also be allowed to apply and participate in the recruitment process.

Vacancies existing in 2024 and those arising in 2025 will be considered for this recruitment. The breakup of posts is as follows: Police Constable – 10,908, Police Constable Driver – 234, Bandsman – 25, Armed Police Constable – 2,393, Jail Constable – 554. Police Constable and Jail Constable posts fall under Group-C category. The recruitment process will be conducted at the district level, with a written examination based on the OMR system.

The meeting also approved delegating authority to the Additional Director General of Police, Training and Special Units, to conduct related processes such as inviting applications, scrutiny, physical tests, and written exams for qualified candidates.

Constable posts are crucial for maintaining law and order in the state. If these positions remain vacant, it increases the workload on existing personnel. The High Court and Supreme Court have also directed that such posts be filled promptly. Public representatives have repeatedly demanded their immediate filling during legislative discussions.

Increase in Margin for Fair Price Shopkeepers – Now ₹170 per Quintal Instead of ₹150

The cabinet has decided to increase the margin for fair price shopkeepers distributing food grains and sugar under the Public Distribution System (PDS) in Maharashtra by ₹20 per quintal. The meeting was chaired by CM Devendra Fadnavis. This will raise the shopkeepers’ margin from the earlier ₹150 to ₹170 per quintal.

Under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana and Priority Household Scheme, 53,910 fair price shopkeepers distribute food grains, sugar, and other items to ration card holders using e-PoS machines with biometric verification.

Earlier, shopkeepers received ₹45 per quintal from the central government and ₹105 from the state government, totaling ₹150. Associations of fair price shopkeepers had requested an increase, which has now been approved. The new margin of ₹170 per quintal (₹1,700 per metric ton) will result in an additional annual expenditure of about ₹92.71 crore.

Viability Gap Funding Approved for Solapur–Pune–Mumbai Air Route

The cabinet approved providing viability gap funding (VGF) on a per-seat basis for one year for the Solapur–Pune–Mumbai air route, similar to the UDAN scheme. The meeting was chaired by CM Devendra Fadnavis.

The central government launched the UDAN (Regional Connectivity Scheme) to make air travel affordable for the common citizen. This scheme will also be implemented for Solapur Airport. Until then, a per-seat VGF of ₹3,240 will be provided for one year (100% VGF), helping reduce airfares on this route.

As per the decision, Star Air will receive the per-seat VGF for Solapur–Mumbai and Solapur–Pune routes. An allocation of ₹17.97 crore will be made for this. Once the UDAN scheme is implemented for Solapur Airport, this state funding will cease, and the state will provide 20% VGF as per the UDAN guidelines.

Relaxation of Guarantor Conditions in Loan Schemes of Three Corporations; Five-Year Extension for Government Guarantee

This decision will simplify the loan process and help clear pending cases. The cabinet approved changes to guarantor conditions in loan schemes of the Mahatma Phule Backward Class Development Corporation, Sant Rohidas Leather Industries and Charmakar Development Corporation, and Lokshahir Annabhau Sathe Development Corporation, along with a five-year extension of government guarantees to these corporations. The meeting was chaired by CM Devendra Fadnavis.

These corporations implement various schemes such as term loan schemes, debt schemes, and seed capital schemes, both from their own funds and through national corporations.

For loans up to ₹2 lakh, approval was given to place a charge on the beneficiary’s property or on the immovable property of one guarantor. For loans between ₹2 lakh and ₹5 lakh, the earlier requirement of two guarantors has been reduced to one, who must own immovable property or land, or be employed in the private sector, or be a government, semi-government, or government-aided employee. A charge will also be placed on the immovable properties of both the beneficiary and the guarantor.

The National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation (NSCFDC) and National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC) schemes are implemented in the state through these corporations, which receive loan funds from national corporations for term loans, seed capital, microfinance, and education loans.

The cabinet approved extending government guarantees for five years for loans amounting to ₹600 crore for the Mahatma Phule Corporation, ₹100 crore for the Annabhau Sathe Corporation, and ₹50 crore for the Sant Rohidas Corporation. This will help clear pending loan cases and provide new loans to beneficiaries.