Maha govt plans crackdown on those blocking village access roads
Revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Wednesday announced that the plan, being drafted by a high-powered committee, will be finalised and presented to the state cabinet by the end of September.
The committee, comprising ministers, MLAs, and senior officials from the revenue, rural development, and employment guarantee departments, held its first meeting in Mumbai. "We will hold three rounds of discussions before delivering a concrete, actionable plan to the cabinet by September.
The success of this initiative will depend greatly on the support and cooperation of MLAs," Bawankule said after the meeting.
One of the strongest appeals came from MLA Abhimanyu Pawar, who urged punitive measures against individuals blocking road construction despite overwhelming community support. "If 90% of farmers agree to a road project, it should not be stalled by 10% opposition. The cost of construction should be recovered from such objectors, and if necessary, action taken under Section 353," Pawar said.
Rural development minister Jaykumar Gore supported the call for incorporating such provisions into law.
Funding emerged as a central concern during discussions. MLA Satyajit Deshmukh proposed creating a separate budget head for these projects and exploring resources from the Employment Guarantee Scheme and District Planning Committees. Officials suggested that a clear and sustained funding stream would be essential to ensure uninterrupted execution.
Settlement commissioner for land records Suhas Diwase proposed that all rural access roads be formally documented in the 7/12 land records, with boundaries clearly defined and survey numbers assigned. He also suggested vesting ownership with the revenue department to prevent encroachment and streamline maintenance.
To improve efficiency, MLA Hemant Patil recommended that project execution powers be shifted from gram panchayats to tehsildars, ensuring faster decision-making.
He also called for a minimum road width of six metres and year-round usability standards.
Employment guarantee minister Bharat Gogawale described the plan as "critical for empowering farmers and improving rural livelihoods," while minister of state for finance and planning Ashish Jaiswal suggested completing implementation within two years.
MLAs Mahesh Shinde, Anil Patil, Randhir Savarkar, Sumit Wankhede and MLC Parinay Fuke also put forward key inputs aimed at strengthening the framework before it is presented to the cabinet next month.
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