States » WestPosted at: Oct 4 2026 11:28PM


Crack down on transformer, power cable theft: Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule directs police

Dhule, Oct 4 (UNI) Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule has directed the police to take strict and immediate action against those involved in the theft of transformers and nearly 27 kilometres of electricity cables in Dhule district.
Emphasising the need to ensure uninterrupted power supply for agricultural irrigation, he instructed officials to make all feeders in the district fully operational by October 30 and maintain a reserve stock of 1,000 transformers for emergencies.
Bawankule, who chairs the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Drought Mitigation Measures, issued these directives during a drought review meeting at the Dhule Collectorate, where he strongly reprimanded the power distribution company and the administrative machinery over their handling of the situation.
The meeting was attended by Dhule Guardian Minister Jaykumar Rawal, MP Shobha Bachhav, MLAs Ram Bhadane and Manjula Gavit, former MP Subhash Bhamre, former MLA Kunal Patil, District Collector Bhagyashree Vispute, Zilla Parishad Chief Executive Officer Babasaheb Beldar and senior officials from various departments.
Before the meeting, Bawankule received 150 representations from citizens. He also visited Kasvihir village and inspected drought conditions directly at a farmer's field.
During the meeting, elected representatives expressed serious concerns over the electricity supply and worsening drought conditions.
MLA Manjula Gavit criticised the poor quality of work carried out by the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL). MP Shobha Bachhav highlighted the plight of farmers who have water in their wells but are unable to irrigate their crops due to frequent power disruptions. MLA Ram Bhadane pointed out the need for land to establish a 132-kV substation, noting that the project could take nearly two years to complete.
Reviewing the implementation of the crop loan waiver scheme, Bawankule expressed strong displeasure over the slow pace of disbursement by banks.
A total of 23,155 farmers in the district have received loan waiver benefits, with ₹514 crore disbursed out of the total allocation of ₹1,278 crore.
However, e-KYC formalities for 7,154 farmers are still pending. "Not a single eligible beneficiary should be deprived of the loan waiver within the next 15 days," Bawankule instructed.
Issuing a stern warning to nationalised banks, he said that all government funds deposited with banks failing to meet their crop loan waiver targets would be withdrawn immediately.
Criticising the functioning of the revenue administration, Bawankule said that proper demarcation of farm roads was not being carried out. He directed officials from the land records, stamps and revenue departments to implement revised regulations effectively.
Roads that are not yet officially recorded must be brought into the records immediately, with priority given to farm roads, he said.
He also warned that illegal sand mining and other irregularities must be stopped immediately in Dhule and Nandurbar, which he described as sensitive districts.
The minister further directed the police to take their responsibilities seriously in tackling illegal activities, including gambling operations such as matka, warning that negligence would invite strict action.
Emphasising the urgency of the situation, Bawankule said that people and farmers were facing severe hardships due to drought. "Saving farmers in these difficult circumstances is the administration's foremost responsibility. Officials must demonstrate greater urgency in their work and ensure that governance remains people-oriented," he said.
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Tags: #Crack down on transformer# power cable theft: Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule directs police
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