From strengthening district capabilities to flood management: MITRA kicks off key projects

Among the key initiatives, the council approved the Maharashtra Strengthening Institutional Capabilities in Districts for Enabling Growth (Maha-STRIDE) project, a collaborative effort between MITRA, the Planning Department, and the World Bank.

The project is valued at approximately $268.97 million (Rs 2,232 crore), with the World Bank contributing 70% of the funds, or $188.28 million (Rs 1,562 crore).

Maha-STRIDE focuses on three main result areas including strengthening district-level systems that includes incentivizing the implementation of district strategy plans, providing incentive funds for environmental programs, and promoting equity in tourism development.

It will also work to improve access to E-government services with an aim to enhance the delivery of government-to-business and government-to-consumer services through MAITRI 2.0, Aaple Sarkar 2.0, and Udyog Seva Kendras (USKs).

Mitra also plans to strengthen state institutions for data-driven policy, which involves creating a State Data Policy and State Data Authority, building capacity for data encryption standards (DES) and the Maharashtra Remote Sensing Application Center (MRSAC), as well as promoting evidence-based planning through data analytics.

Additionally, the Maharashtra Resilience Development Program (MRDP), with a budget of Rs 3,200 crore, was launched to address flood challenges in the Krishna sub-basin and surrounding areas, including Sangli, Kolhapur, Ichalkaranji, Miraj, and Shirol.