Fadnavis sanctions Rs 10 crore to draft new youth policy of state; adds Oppn members to panel

Mumbai, Sep 9 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has sanctioned Rs 10 crore for drafting the new youth policy of the state and reconstituted a committee of legislators by including opposition members and women in the wake of criticism over their exclusion earlier.

The existing youth policy of the state, introduced in 2012, expired in 2022. Fadnavis himself was a member of the panel that framed the earlier policy when he was in the opposition.

The revised committee will now include opposition legislators Abhijeet Patil and Rohit Patil of NCP (SP), Varun Sardesai from Shiv Sena (UBT) and Dr Babasaheb Deshmukh (PWP), along with some women youth activists and experts.

The decision to allocate Rs 10 crore was taken after independent MLC Satyajeet Tambe urged the government to sanction funds for a comprehensive youth policy, said an MLA who was present at the meeting.

"Maharashtra will complete 75 years in 10 years. While preparing a revised youth policy, a plan for the next 10 years should be drafted by taking into account feedback from all sections. A long-term vision should also be set till 2047," Fadnavis said.

He stressed that the policy should ensure equal opportunities for rural and urban youth and encourage participation from young people representing diverse ideologies. Separate funds will also be earmarked for youth-centric initiatives similar to women-focused schemes.

A coordinated plan involving government departments and a monitoring mechanism will be developed for effective implementation, the chief minister added.

"The objectives of the policy should be determined by conducting a survey of youth in the state, holding discussions with organisations engaged in youth development, social media consultations, seminars in schools and colleges, and talks with the service sector, agricultural producers and youth," Fadnavis said.

The elements to be included in the policy should be based on collected data and expert analysis. Professional organisations will be appointed to provide world-class guidance, he said.

"The age range for the youth is between 15 to 35, which is huge. The MLAs demanded that this age range should be further divided into sub-categories, and programmes should be designed as per that particular age group. The issues, challenges, expectations of youth who are completing their education and who are already in jobs would vary a lot. Hence, it requires separate and focused policy formation," the MLA said.

It was also decided not to categorise rural and urban youth separately, which was proposed earlier. Instead, formation of the age-wise sub categories and survey would be undertaken, said the public representative from western Maharashtra. PTI ND NP