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Major reshuffle expected in Maharashtra Police leadership

The State Home Department in Maharashtra is gearing up for a significant overhaul of its top police leadership, including the position of Director General of Police (DGP) and Police Commissioners of Nagpur and Thane. The impending retirement of the current DGP, Rajnish Seth, on December 31 has prompted the department to commence the process of selecting his successor.A top rank official said that several prominent names have emerged as contenders for the esteemed position of State DGP. The frontrunner is Senior IPS Officer Rashmi Shukla, who currently serves as the Director General (DG) of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar is also a strong candidate for the role. Other notable contenders include Thane CP Jaijeet Singh, DG ATS Sadanand Date, DG Police Housing Sandeep Bishnoi, DG Railway Pradnya Sarvade, Additional Director of NIA Atulchandra Kulkarni, and DG State Security Corporation Bipin Kumar Singh, he said. He further stated that the State Home ...

Injustice with Vidarbha: MSEDCL favours Baramati over Vidarbha

MSEDCL favours Baramati over Vidarbha 

  • Baramati Zone comprising three districts has got more funds than Vidarbha region comprising three zones covering 11 districts 

By Dheeraj Fartode 
Though the State Government is talking about ‘Advantage Vidarbha’ to attract investment to Vidarbha region, it appears to have been depriving the region of power distribution infrastructure. According to official data of Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL), under Phase-II of infrastructure development programme, projects worth Rs 955 crore have been sanctioned in Baramati zone alone while Vidarbha region comprising three zones has got projects worth Rs 879.2 crore only!

Nagpur Urban Zone figures at second position from the bottom in the list of 14 zones of MSEDCL, as far as cost of projects approved for it under the programme is concerned. Interestingly, MSEDCL officials, say that the approvals are based on perception of forthcoming growth of industries in a particular region. This means that the State Government has perceived lower industrial growth in Vidarbha region. This also reflects poorly on the Democratic Front Government’s much-touted commitment towards industrial development of Vidarbha region, and also on the promises made during ‘Advantage Vidarbha’ summit held earlier this year.

MSEDCL has proposed several projects under Infra-II Scheme by deleting scope in Accelerated Power Development and Reform Programme (APDRP) in case of 130 towns. As per the abstract of the scheme, MSEDCL will spend Rs 5,550 crore on expansion of infrastructure in power sector across the State. However, Baramati Zone in Western Maharashtra has got the highest allocation in terms of money required for projects under the scheme. In comparison, three zones in Vidarbha region put together have got lesser allocation than Baramati Zone alone.

While a whopping Rs 955 crore has been sanctioned for Baramati Zone, Vidarbha region’s three zones namely Nagpur Urban Zone, Nagpur Zone, and Amravati Zone have got Rs 879.2 crore. Nasik Zone, which is coming up as a commercial hub, has got sanction to projects worth Rs 854.5 crore. Nagpur Urban Zone and Nagpur Zone have got projects worth Rs 163.5 crore and Rs 250.5 crore respectively, and Amravati Zone has got sanction to projects worth Rs 465.2 crore under the scheme.

The infrastructure expansion plan includes various projects namely new sub-stations, switching stations, additional power transformers, augmentation of power transformers, high-tension over-head lines, high-tension underground cables, revised low-tension overhead lines, low-tension underground lines, Distribution Transformer Centre (DTC), agricultural connections etc.

Under the scheme, Vidarbha region will get 62 new sub-stations while Baramati will get 96. Similarly, Baramati will get 65 additional power transformers and three zones in Vidarbha will get only 20. Same is the case with other projects. As far as projected agricultural connections are concerned, Baramati will get 88,535 while three zones in Vidarbha put together will get 76,675 only. Except for high-tension underground cables, augmentation of power transformers, and CT operated meters, Vidarbha region has got a raw deal compared to Baramati Zone in all other projects.

In all 4,511 high-tension overhead lines will be laid in Baramati Zone, which has no power generation facility. Vidarbha region, which accounts for 70 per cent of the power generated in State, will get only 3,241 high-tension overhead lines.

While 8,034 100K/200 KVA DTCs will be created in Baramati Zone, only 5,509 centers will be created in Vidarbha. Baramati Zone also beats entire Vidarbha region in installation of three phase meters that denote commercial purpose. In case of single phase meters, however, Vidarbha region beats Baramati Zone. A total of 94,090 three phase meters will be installed in Baramati Zone comprising three districts while 76,419 will be installed in Vidarbha region comprising 11 districts.

Though countless farmers committed suicide in Vidarbha region due to lack of irrigation facilities, surprisingly, the demand for power connections for agricultural pumps is more in Baramati Zone than any other zone in the State. The zone will get 88,535 agricultural connections while Vidarbha will get only 76,675 connections.

Share of Baramati and Vidarbha 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Head Baramati Vidarbha 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
New Sub Station 96                      62 
Addl Power T/F      65                     20 
Augmentation of 11                      27 
HT Line O/H Line 4,511 Kms      3,241 Kms 
HT U/G Cable 50.8 Kms            169.78 Kms 
Revised LT O/H line 2,221.86 Kms   2,103 Kms 
LT U/G Cable         48 Kms            15.5 Kms 
100K/200 KVA DTC 8,034              5,509 
315/630/995 KVA DTC 12               06 
1 Ph Meters         1,33,400              4,08,712 
3 Ph Meters         94,090 76,419 
CT operated meters 730                  1,105 
AG Connections        88,535 76,675 
Total Cost        Rs 955 crore Rs 879.2 crore 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Zone-wise cost under INFRA-II project 
--------------------------------------------- 
Zone Project cost 
--------------------------------------------- 
Baramati Rs 955 crore 
Nashik Rs 854 crore 
Kolhapur Rs 574 crore 
Kalyan Rs 574 crore 
Amravati Rs 465 crore 
Pune Rs 369 crore 
Aurangabad Rs 302 crore 
Nanded Rs 289 crore 
Latur Rs 255 crore 
Nagpur Rs 250 crore 
Jalgaon Rs 217 crore 
Bhandup Rs 178 crore 
Nagpur City Rs 163 crore 
Konkan Rs 100 crore 
--------------------------------------------- 
Total Rs 5,550 crore 
--------------------------------------------- 

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