Maharashtra`s government, in its cabinet meeting on Tuesday, approved amendments to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) in which the chief minister and two deputy chief ministers will be ex-officio members.
According to the approved changes, the updated structure now includes the Minister of Urban Development as a member of the authority.
The move follows reports of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde expressing dissatisfaction with the exclusion of his name from the SDMA, while both Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar were members of the body.
Established after the 2005 Mumbai floods, the SDMA is responsible for coordinating disaster management across the state, with the Chief Minister at its helm. Recently, the state government reconstituted the SDMA, with CM Fadnavis leading the authority. The nine-member committee includes Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik as the CEO, alongside Pawar as a member of the newly formed body.
Those in the political circle claimed that there was no rift among the ruling alliance partners and that the amendment to the SDMA was made to include the Urban Development (UD) department.
“The UD has a key role in the authority as it plays a major role in carrying out relief and rehabilitation work,” the official added.
