Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed all districts to launch time-bound campaigns to repair and upgrade infrastructure at schools, healthcare facilities and other public institutions across the state, with district collectors responsible for coordinating implementation.
The directive was issued during a meeting on the maintenance and repair of buildings used by educational, healthcare and other public departments. The campaign will cover schools, residential schools, Ashram schools, Anganwadi centres, primary health centres and subcentres, industrial training institutes and technical education institutions.
Districts have been asked to prepare separate action plans for six months, one year and three to four years. The plans are expected to identify immediate repair and maintenance needs as well as larger infrastructure gaps and longer-term projects. The state government has not announced a single statewide deadline for completing all works, with implementation to be organised through district-level plans.
Fadnavis said funding should not be a constraint in providing essential facilities at educational institutions and primary healthcare centres. He directed officials to use available resources more effectively and said the improvement of foundational education and health institutions could bring positive change across districts.
Under the proposed administrative structure, the District Collector will serve as the campaign director. The Chief Executive Officer of the Zilla Parishad and the chief officer or commissioner of the respective urban local body will act as co-directors. Officials from the education, health, women and child development, tribal development, social welfare and technical education departments will be brought into the district-level exercise.
The Chief Minister also called for regional-level officers to receive the powers needed to take decisions, while assigning clear responsibility for implementation. Senior officers have been directed to monitor progress regularly and identify shortcomings. The arrangement is intended to bring departments responsible for public institutions under a common district framework instead of handling repair requirements separately.
The government plans to pool funding from District Planning Committees, government schemes, corporate social responsibility funds, public contributions, the Hill Area Development Programme and other available sources. Fadnavis also suggested that modular infrastructure options be considered for primary health centres where conventional construction or expansion could take longer.
The Finance Department and concerned secretaries have been asked to issue detailed Government Resolutions covering decentralised workflows, the use of District Planning Committee funds and the prioritisation of expenditure.
The Chief Minister ordered a separate review of hostels, Anganwadi centres and Ashram schools operating from rented buildings. Officials will assess whether students are receiving essential facilities and examine the possibility of creating infrastructure through new lease models. The review is also expected to consider students’ residence, meals and other basic amenities.
A proposal has additionally been sought on establishing Anganwadi centres in municipal corporation schools, following a request from Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare. The proposal will require coordination between the department and urban local bodies.
Fadnavis also directed officials to examine department-run hostels with very low enrolment, those operating largely on a nominal basis and facilities lacking essential amenities. Hostels found not to be serving their intended purpose could be closed. The next formal step is the issuance of Government Resolutions setting out the decentralised procedures, funding arrangements and expenditure priorities for the district campaigns.
