MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan released Friday the much-awaited list of guardian ministers for the state’s districts.
Home Minister R.R. Patil will be the guardian minister of Maoist-infested Gadchiroli district. Patil, a native of Sangli, has himself asked Chief Minister Ashok Chavan to appoint him guardian minister of Gadchiroli in the Marathawada region of the state. In 2009, some 50 policemen, including officers, and a number of informers were killed by Maoists there.
Minister of State for Home Ramesh Bagwe, who comes from Pune, will be the guardian minister of Chandrapur, also a hub of the Maoists insurgents.
The list of 35 guardian ministers was announced by the state government on Thursday. Energy Minister Ajit Pawar will be the guardian minister of Pune, while Rural Development Minister Jayant Patil will look after Mumbai City. Mumbai Suburbs will be looked after by Textile and Minorities Development Minister Naseem Khan. Deputy Chief Minister and PWD Minister Chhagan Bhujbal will be the guardian minister of Nashik. Revenue Minister Narayan Rane will be in charge of Sindhudurg, while the guardian minister for Nanded, the home district of the chief minister, will be Subhash Jhanak. He will also look after Akola. Agriculture Minister Balasaheb Thorat will be in charge of Latur, the hometown of Union Heavy Industries Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh. Forests Minister Patangrao Kadam will look after Sangli.
Social Justice Minister Shivajirao Moghe will be in charge of Nagpur, while Animal Husbandry Minister Nitin Raut will take care of Yavatmal. Transport Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil will look after Aurangabad and Finance and Planning Minister Sunil Tatkare Raigad. Excise Minister Ganesh Naik will be in charge of Thane, while Minister for Water Resources (Krishna Valley Irrigation Corporation) Ramraje Naik-Nimbalkar will look after Satara.
