Maharashtra to lead in realising PM Modi's vision of a developed India by 2047: CM Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. File Pic

Maharashtra Chief Minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said the state will play a pivotal role in fulfilling Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi's vision of a fully developed India by 2047. Speaking at the 'Viksit Maharashtra 2047' advisory committee meeting, Fadnavis said the state's Vision Document would act as a strategic roadmap to make Maharashtra globally competitive, news agency PTI reported.

"Maharashtra will lead the way in achieving the Prime Minister's goal of a developed India by 2047," he said, adding that the Vision Document will serve as a guiding framework for all future initiatives.

The advisory committee has approved the draft of Viksit Maharashtra 2047, which will now be submitted to the state cabinet for approval, PTI reported. The document lays out a three-phase development roadmap with key milestones set for 2029, 2035, and 2047.

Calling it a historic draft, Fadnavis stressed that all the upcoming policies and government schemes should align with the vision outlined in the document. He also suggested that the document be converted into a video format to ensure its objectives are easily accessible and understandable to the general public.

According to a statement from the Chief Minister's Office, Fadnavis directed all departments to adopt an artificial intelligence-based mechanism to assess proposals before approval, PTI reported.

"This will save significant time. Departments will only need to verify the AI-generated assessments," he said.

He also proposed developing a Large Language Model (LLM) for more efficient AI-driven operations and recommended a cloud-based system to store beneficiary data for various government schemes.

CM Fadnavis highlighted the strong public engagement with the Viksit Maharashtra draft. Between June 19 and July 28, over four lakh citizens submitted suggestions, including 35,000 audio messages. Additionally, more than seven lakh people participated in department-specific surveys.

Two contractual staff held for smuggling Rs 1.6 crore foreign gold at Mumbai airport

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has arrested two contractual staffers of Air India Airport Service Limited (AIASL) for allegedly trying to smuggle foreign-origin gold valued at Rs 1.6 crore, officials said on Sunday, reported news agency PTI.

Investigations point to a smuggling syndicate that used international passengers to hide gold in the aircraft on arrival, which was later retrieved by the contractual staff with insider access, an official said, reported PTI.

The two accused, employees of Air India Airport Service Limited, were apprehended on Saturday, the official said.

The DRI had specific information that foreign-origin gold was being smuggled through the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai by concealing it within the aircraft and retrieving it through insider airport staff, reported PTI.

Accordingly, a discreet surveillance was mounted at the airport.

A team leader of the contractual staff was seen hurriedly placing a packet on the aerobridge staircase upon noticing the DRI sleuths, the official said.

The packet was later recovered and found to contain gold dust in wax form, concealed under a white cloth, he said.

The contractual staff member was immediately apprehended and, during interrogation, he admitted to hiding the packet to avoid detection, the official said.

(With Agency inputs)