Maharashtra: Ganesh Naik Chairs District Planning Meet In Palghar; ₹688 Crore Utilised, ₹799 Crore Budgeted For 2025–26

Palghar, Maharashtra: A crucial District Planning Committee (DPC) meeting was held at the Atmaram Patil Planning Hall, District Collector’s Office in Palghar on Sunday. The meeting was chaired by Maharashtra Forest Minister and Palghar Guardian Minister Ganesh Naik, who also serves as the committee’s chairman.

The meeting was attended by MPs Suresh Mhatre, MLAs Dnyaneshwar Mhatre, Rajendra Gavit, Daulat Daroda, Shantaram More, Vilas Tare, Vinod Nikole, Harishchandra Bhoi, Sneha Dubey Pandit, and Rajan Naik. Senior district officials including Collector Dr. Indurani Jakhar, Zilla Parishad CEO Manoj Ranade, Superintendent of Police Yatish Deshmukh, Dahanu Project Officer Vishal Khatri, Jawhar Project Officer Apoorva Basur, and District Planning Officer Prashant Bhamre were also present.

The minutes of the previous DPC meeting held on February 5, 2025, were approved during the session. The final revised allocations under the 2024–25 District Annual Plan, including the Tribal Sub-Plan, General Plan, and Special Component Plan, were sanctioned. A total of ₹3.41 crore was reappropriated due to technical constraints, while the remaining funds were disbursed to executing agencies to proceed with the planned works.

A review of expenditure up to June 2025 under the 2024–25 plan revealed that out of the total budgeted amount of ₹688.50 crore (₹329.50 crore for tribal schemes, ₹345 crore general, and ₹14 crore special component), ₹685.09 crore had been sanctioned to implementing agencies. Of this, ₹444.64 crore had already been spent on completed projects. Naik directed all departments to expedite remaining works and ensure 100% utilisation of allocated funds.

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Looking ahead, the District Annual Plan for 2025–26 has budgeted ₹799.43 crore, out of which ₹410.13 crore is budgeted for tribal schemes, ₹375 crore for general, and ₹14 crore under the special component. Naik instructed officials to allocate resources equitably across all talukas, taking into account population size, local challenges, and the urgency of developmental needs. He stressed that priority must be given to projects related to healthcare, education, and basic infrastructure.

During the meeting, a book titled “Bamboo Towards Prosperity” was unveiled, highlighting initiatives by the Dahanu Forest Department. Additionally, a draft proposal was presented for a nature-based urban forest park to be developed on 93.4 hectares of government land in Palghar. The project is part of Naik’s vision to promote sustainable urban development in anticipation of rapid urbanisation in the district.