Mumbai, June 24: Maharashtra’s Rural Development Minister, Jaykumar Gore, assured the Assembly on Wednesday that there is no shortage of funds for the Gharakul (housing) scheme. He emphasized that payments to beneficiaries will not be halted under any circumstances.
Gore announced that the government aims to construct 1.5 million homes in the state within the next year. Responding to questions raised by member Sameer Kunwar and additional queries from Nilesh Rane, Rahul Patil, Sudhir Mungantiwar, and Nana Patole, Minister Gore noted that the state had set a target of over 2.9 million homes last year.
Out of these, 2.817 million beneficiaries have been identified, and 2.785 million homes have received approval. So far, over 2.6 million homes have received the first installment, more than 1.7 million homes the second installment, and over 1.1 million homes the third installment.
To date, a total of 605,596 homes have been completed, making Maharashtra the first state in the country to finish six hundred thousand homes in a single year.
Regarding funding, Gore revealed that ₹5,290 crores were allocated for the fiscal year 2025-26, while ₹13,947 crores have been earmarked for 2026-27. He acknowledged that there were delays in releasing installments due to technical issues with the central government’s ‘Sparsh’ online fund distribution system. However, he clarified that the process is now running smoothly, and no beneficiary’s funds will be withheld.
He also mentioned that if land is not available, each beneficiary is being provided with up to ₹1 lakh for land purchase.
Meanwhile, Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik informed the Assembly that after addressing various demands from employees, the regional transport office staff has called off their indefinite strike. He stated that the transport department’s operations will resume normally.
Sarnaik noted that employee unions began the strike on June 16, raising demands that could disrupt the daily activities of millions of citizens. The government engaged in discussions to understand the employees’ concerns, leading to several decisions.
Temporary promotions for the position of Office Superintendent will be renewed for three months, and approval will be sought from the General Administration Department (GAD) to extend this for 11 months. A proposal for 23 promotions for Senior Administrative Officers and Administrative Officers has been sent to GAD. Instructions have been issued to expedite the implementation of service entry rules for Office Superintendents and Class-3 cadre.
The government is also in favor of renaming the positions of Clerk, Typist, and Senior Clerk to ‘Transport Assistant’ and ‘Senior Transport Coordinator Assistant,’ respectively. The process for final approval of service entry rules for Assistant Police Motor Vehicle Prosecutors is in its final stages.
The Transport Commissioner has been directed to make immediate decisions regarding the benefits under the ‘Assured Career Progression Scheme’ for Senior Clerks and Office Superintendents.
Sarnaik stated that necessary decisions will also be made regarding demands related to the Transfer Act of 2005, keeping in mind administrative needs and current regulations.
He added, “The government is committed to respecting employees, resolving their issues, and securing their future. The aim is to make the transport department more capable, efficient, and citizen-centric through dialogue, sensitivity, and coordination. Following these positive decisions, employee unions have called off their indefinite strike, alleviating the inconvenience faced by citizens.”
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