Land for the homeless for just ₹1! Rehabilitation proposal presented to the cabinet, demands proposal by 29 October.

Mumbai, Date (City News Mumbai Anant Nalavde)

A proposal to make land available at a cost of just one rupee for the permanent resettlement of nomadic and displaced communities living in slums and temporary settlements in Maharashtra will be presented to the cabinet. For this, Revenue Minister and Chairman of the OBC Cabinet Sub‑Committee, Chandrasekhar Bawanakule, has directed that land proposals be submitted by 29 October.

During the seventh meeting of the sub‑committee held at the Sahyadri Guest House, Bawanakule expressed frustration to the relevant officials over delays in resettlement. He instructed that caste certificates and other necessary documents be made available to eligible citizens and that plans be prepared for setting up new settlements for them. **The decision to provide land at one rupee has not yet been finalized.** The proposal will be further decided upon after being presented before the cabinet.

### Questions Raised by Chagan Bhujbal on the Majajyoti Fund

The meeting also raised the issue of the budget discrepancy between Majajyoti and Sarathi institutions. Minister Chagan Bhujbal pointed out that Sarathi received ₹1,484 crore while Majajyoti received ₹288 crore, and he raised questions. He demanded that all institutions be provided with adequate funds in accordance with the prescribed criteria and that the approved amounts be released promptly.

Bawanakule stated that funds have been disbursed under a ₹600 crore budgetary arrangement. He said that the budget would not be cut and that discussions would be held with the Chief Minister for additional funds. A proposal to create a separate budget for the VJNT (Vimukt Jati and Ghumnatu Jati) was also discussed.

### Provision of Feed for Shepherds in Drought

The issue of grazing areas for shepherds in the state was also discussed. Officials were instructed to provide alternative grazing sites in forest areas where grazing facilities are not available, based on local conditions.

Forest Minister Ganesh Naik suggested conducting drone surveys to assess the availability of feed in drought‑affected areas and to provide feed from the District Planning and Development Committee (DPDC) fund. The meeting also discussed filling a nine percent backlog in the recruitment process and measures to address economic inequality.

### Directions on Management of OBC Hostels

Other Backward Classes Welfare Minister Atul Sawa gave instructions to keep office space and student accommodation separate in OBC hostels for OBC students. He said that the process of integrating hostels should not affect the accommodation facilities for students. He also warned that the responsible department would be held accountable in case of delays.

Meanwhile, the administration informed that the process of purchasing 11,455 square feet of space at the SIDCO Belapur Railway Station premises in Navi Mumbai for the conglomerates and their subsidiaries is in its final stage.

The meeting was attended by Ministers Chagan Bhujbal, Ganesh Naik, Pankaja Munde, Gulabrao Patil, Atul Sawa, and Sanjay Rathod, along with senior officials from various departments.