60 stamp offices to be upgraded on passport office lines: Bawankule

Stamp duty department offices in the state will now be modernised on the lines of passport offices. The decision has been taken to upgrade 60 offices in the first phase. Revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule gave this information.

According to Bawankule, government officials will be posted at these offices, while private participation will be sought for infrastructure and manpower arrangements. Going forward, the rest of the state's offices will also be brought under this plan. Besides being revenue minister, Bawankule is also the guardian minister for Amravati and Nagpur districts. He gave this information while speaking to the press on Tuesday.

Bawankule said artificial intelligence, or AI, is being used to make the registration department more modern and technology based. The government is trying to remove the difficulties citizens face at registration offices and set up a better, faster and more modern system there. Modern technology will be used extensively in the registration department's work so that citizens get easy access to services.

Bawankule said the drought-like conditions in the state will be discussed in detail at today's cabinet meeting. The minister or secretary of the relief and rehabilitation department will brief the cabinet on the state's situation and the measures needed. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is monitoring the situation and the government is positive about helping farmers. Decisions had earlier been taken during the drought of 2017-18. Bawankule made clear that after today's discussion, the situation will be reviewed and an appropriate decision taken.

On the Congress meeting the Election Commission over the SIR issue, Bawankule said representatives of all political parties have the opportunity to work at every booth. If any voter's name has been recorded wrongly or left out, there is an opportunity to have it entered, for which there is time until the 30th. Booth level officials of all parties can take part in this process. He said there is a deliberate attempt to spread confusion and malign the issue, and that meeting the Election Commission is a political stunt, when the opportunity to make the necessary corrections already exists as per the rules.

On the opposition's criticism over the drought issue, Bawankule said the opposition should decide its own role, while it is the ruling party's job to deliver justice to the people. The Maharashtra government led by Devendra Fadnavis stands firmly with farmers and is trying, after a thorough review of the situation, to give farmers the help they need. He suggested that the real drought situation in the state should be placed before Prime Minister Narendra Modi in person, since the central government has helped states during droughts many times before, so meeting the prime minister would get a positive response.

On the criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bawankule said mimicking the prime minister or making such remarks about him would not be acceptable to the people of the country. He said Narendra Modi has raised India's global image and several countries have given him their highest civilian honours. Bawankule said Rahul Gandhi needs to show restraint while criticising the prime minister and that the people will not accept such criticism. He claimed a similar attempt had been made to create such an atmosphere in Rajasthan, but there the people gave the BJP a clear mandate.