Mumbai, Aug 12 (IANS) The Maharashtra Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, on Tuesday approved the recruitment of around 15,000 police personnel in the state's force, and also increased the margins for fair price shopkeepers. CM Fadnavis, during the Monsoon session, had told the state legislature that a major recruitment drive for the police department had been undertaken. This initiative is part of a 150-day programme aimed at restructuring the department, updating rules, ensuring compassionate appointments, and identifying vacancies.

He further said that the state government has already recruited 38,802 police personnel between 2022 and 2025. A proposal for recruiting an additional 13,560 police posts has also been submitted. The cabinet also cleared an increase in margins for the fair price shopkeepers in the state. The government distributes foodgrains to ration card holders under the public distribution system. 0Minister of Food and Civil Supply Chhagan Bhujbal said the cabinet gave approval to increase the margin amount of fair price shopkeepers distributing foodgrains (ration) to eligible beneficiaries of the National Food Security Scheme (Antyodaya Anna Yojana and Priority Families) under the state's public distribution.

Minister Bhujbal said, “The margin rate currently being given to the fair price shopkeepers for distribution of foodgrains to ration card holders through e-POS machines under the public distribution system in the state has been increased by Rs 20 per quintal (Rs 200 per metric ton) to Rs 170 per quintal (Rs 1700 per metric ton). This will result in an estimated annual additional financial burden of Rs 92.71 crore on the state exchequer.” He said that for the past several days, there has been a demand for an increase in the margin of the fair price shopkeepers. Many meetings were also held in this regard. “The government was positive about the demands of the fair price shopkeepers, so today the cabinet has decided to increase the margin of the fair price shopkeepers,” he added.

Further, the cabinet also decided to provide viability gap funding for Solapur-Pune-Mumbai air travel. The cabinet also gave approval to relax the guarantor conditions in various loan schemes implemented by corporations under the jurisdiction of the Department of Social Justice and Special Assistance. The government guarantee extended for five years.