Shinde-Fadnavis reconstitutes Statutory Development Boards

With the polls to the local bodies round the corner, the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government has decided to revive the Statutory Development Boards (SDBs) for Vidarbha, Marathwada and rest of Maharashtra.

This comes as a clear snub to the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, which had not reconstituted the SBDs, when they were in power.

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Following the decision at the Cabinet meeting to reconstitute the SDBs, the new government comprising the rebel faction of Shiv Sena and BJP, is expected to increase allocation to these boards.

The SDBs were constituted on May 1,1994 -- when Sharad Pawar was the chief minister -- to correct the regional imbalance vis-à-vis allocation of funds and resources for the development of neglected regions.

It may be mentioned that the then President Pranab Mukherjee, by an order of April 30, 2015, had extended the term by five years.

The term of the SDBs had expired on April 30, 2020, after which the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government had not reconstituted it.

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Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari had been rooting for the reconstitution of the SDBs.

The then leader of Opposition and now Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had raised the issue in the Maharashtra Legislature as well. Ajit Pawar, the then deputy chief minister, who had held the Finance and Planning Portfolio, had stated that the moment Koshyari cleared the appointment of 12 MLCs from the Governor's quote as recommended by the Cabinet, the appointments to these SDBs would be announced.

It may be recalled that the President of India, in exercise of his powers conferred by Article 371 (2), had promulgated an order titled “The State of Maharashtra (Special responsibility of the Governor for Vidarbha, Marathwada and Rest of Maharashtra) Order, 1994”, for creation of SDBs.