Nagpur/Mumbai: Nagpur has emerged as a major beneficiary of the Maharashtra Cabinet’s latest decisions, with the State Government approving a massive Rs 644.63-crore International Agriculture Facility Centre in the city and allotting 1 hectare and 86 are of land to the Bidgaon-Tarodi (Khurd)-Pandhurna Nagar Panchayat for construction of its administrative building.
The approvals were taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai, where 12 important decisions spanning agriculture, transport, education, judiciary, cooperative institutions and public welfare were cleared.
The proposed International Agriculture Facility Centre will come up on the land of the College of Agriculture, Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, in the Dabha area of Nagpur. The Cabinet approved the project blueprint involving an investment of Rs 644.63 crore, marking a significant step towards strengthening agricultural infrastructure and facilities in the region.
The land allocation to Bidgaon-Tarodi (Khurd)-Pandhurna Nagar Panchayat is expected to facilitate construction of its administrative headquarters and strengthen local civic administration.
Relief for motorists through E-Challan Amnesty
In a major relief to vehicle owners, the Cabinet approved the Maharashtra Traffic Police Challan Amnesty Scheme-2026, allowing a one-time concession of up to 20 per cent on pending traffic e-challan penalties.
The scheme is expected to help motorists settle outstanding fines at reduced rates and clear accumulated traffic penalty liabilities.
Higher allowances for students and veterinary interns
The Cabinet also approved an increase of more than two times in monthly subsistence allowances for hostel students belonging to Other Backward Classes, Vimukta Jatis, Nomadic Tribes and Special Backward Class categories.
Students residing in divisional-level hostels will receive Rs 1,500 per month, while those in district-level hostels will be entitled to Rs 1,300 monthly.
The internship allowance of final-year veterinary students under Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences University has also been increased. The move is intended to encourage students to provide veterinary services in rural areas, benefiting farmers and livestock owners.
Other major Cabinet decisions
• Three Gram Nyayalayas in Palghar: Approval for courts at Talasari, Mokhada and Vikramgad, with 15 posts sanctioned.
• Civil Court at Mukhed: A regular Civil Court of Senior Division will be established in Nanded district, replacing the previously approved joint court.
• Relief to Gondia landholders: Free conversion to Class-I tenure approved for lands allotted through auction or lease for residential purposes in Gondia city.
• Stamp duty exemption: Stamp duty on the purchase transaction of Ram Mansion by Mumbai’s Shri Siddhivinayak Ganpati Temple Trust waived to facilitate temple-area development and pilgrim amenities.
• University regulations amended: Changes approved to the rules of Hyderabad (Sind) National Collegiate University, Mumbai, concerning the Chancellor’s tenure and age-limit provisions and eligibility for reappointment of the Vice-Chancellor.
• Relief to 18 cooperative societies: No administrators will be appointed to 18 Class-A cooperative societies whose terms have expired and elections were postponed owing to drought conditions. Amendments to the Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Act, 1960, and relevant election rules have been approved.
• Government nominees on large cooperative bodies: Five members will be nominated to committees of cooperative societies with annual turnover exceeding Rs 500 crore. The nominees will include one government officer not below the rank of Assistant Registrar and four persons with experience in the institution’s functioning.
The government officer will not have voting rights, while the four experienced nominees will be entitled to vote but will not be eligible to contest elections for office-bearer posts. The provision will not apply to District Central Cooperative Banks.
The Cabinet’s decisions seek to provide relief to motorists, students, farmers, livestock owners and cooperative institutions, while also strengthening judicial access and infrastructure development across Maharashtra. For Nagpur, the Rs 644.63-crore agricultural facility and land allotment to the local Nagar Panchayat stand out as the two significant regional gains.
