“The Pessimist Sees Difficulty In Every Opportunity. The Optimist Sees Opportunity In Every Difficulty.”

The insistence by certain individual leaders and organisations to honour Marathi language and culture is to be lauded since the state reorganization in India has taken place on linguistic basis and it is going to stay. Those not respecting this reality face ire of the other side. This gives rise to spontaneous agitations in some places. The state government has made it clear time and again that all concerned are required to exercise restrain but stray incidents otherwise mar the state’s reputation.

At 65, Maharashtra faces some major challenges despite its spectacular progress in certain other sectors. This is among the most urbanized states in the country, with nearly 50 percent of the population concentrated in cities and tier-two towns. The influx to urban areas has not reduced. Secondly, dependence upon the service sector is increasing similarly, while those engaged in agricultural or allied activities are dwindling in number. As a consequence, the state’s services sector is found mostly in Mumbai—Pune belt. On the other hand, the manufacturing sector is not developing at a speed visualized by the planners. These are the main areas of concern.

While the state’s fiscal position is under control, it can’t be said to be robust. True, its revenue, expenditure and overall economic balance together present a comfortable picture but that is only according to the government guidelines. In real terms, the funding of social initiatives and for capital investments needs a much heftier dose. The state government is hopeful that the present infusion of investments in infrastructure sector will begin to yield the incentives in near future. It is hoped that this prophecy is fulfilled so that no strata of society remain deprived.

Maharashtra’s economy plays a crucial role in India’s economic health. India’s dream of becoming a 5-trillion dollar economy largely depends upon Maharashtra’s performance and assurance that it will become a one-trillion economy. Maharashtra has remained at the forefront of contributing to the national growth by way of its impressive export performance and its largest state share in the nation’s GDP. India’s goal to attain a developed nation status has been supported by Maharashtra though it needs to enhance its share.

Lopsided development in the state is one of major challenges. While most development is concentrated in Western Maharashtra,  regions of Vidarbha, Marathwada and Konkan are still miles away from true development. There are small pockets of industry and trade or commerce but barring Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, there are no manufacturing hubs. The Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Mahamarg is seen as the expressway to growth and development of the areas along its both sides. This will, when it happens, benefit several districts and all three regions. Along with such projects, it also needs to be remembered that there are about 40 cities and towns having a population of almost a million. Though they are urban areas in officialese, they lack opportunities which can arrest the flow to major cities. These ‘urban’ areas need employment in manufacturing ventures to propel their growth in a balanced manner so that they are not turned into urban slums.

The most worrying sector of Maharashtra is agriculture. Various surveys have assessed that almost 50 percent or more of the state population is engaged in agriculture and allied activities. Sadly, their contribution to the state’s GDP is a mere 13 percent or even lower. This is the crux of the uneven development across the state. This directly means that the low per capita income for the state’s farmers is the outcome of this situation. Like everywhere in India, farmers in Maharashtra are seldom beneficiaries of the increased prices for their produce as governmental measures for determining prices and export quotas rarely match market variances. Thus, protecting the farmers remains a daunting challenge in Maharashtra. Water supply through irrigation round the year and assured power supply for agro pumps can ameliorate the situation of the farmers, besides arming them with effective marketing mechanism. Maharashtra has formulated a comprehensive strategy in this regard. Besides promoting agro processing industries, upgrading agricultural standards to international export norms, investing in irrigation coverage and creating alternative employment opportunities at local levels are some of the important factors of this solution.

Fortunately, Maharashtra has a stable government at this juncture. This has happened after a long gap as in the interim, all governments were formed by coalitions with differing parties having different agendas. With the BJP having won almost the magic number now, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is in his third term. He is supported by two able deputies, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar. It is a firm tandem and all three are committed to the state’s development. The only sad part is that there is no effective opposition. For a strong democracy, it is an imperative. Rather than concentrating building up their own parties, opposition leaders have been indulging in making reckless statements on sensitive matters. This is one lacuna that needs to be fixed so that the government’s accountability is really tested.

Maharashtra is poised to face the future with confidence and requires cooperation from all the stakeholders to accelerate its march towards becoming a happy state.