Godavari board autonomy raises employee concerns

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil has decided to make the Godavari Marathwada Irrigation Development Board and Krishna Valley Development Board autonomous from April 1, 2026. A preparatory meeting for implementation will be held in Nagpur on December 12. Officials and employees are worried that autonomy could affect salaries and allowances. The boards plan to cover all salaries and office expenses from their own revenue, raising fears about financial stability, especially in drought-prone Marathwada. Employees question how water charges will be collected if dams receive low rainfall, and whether tourism and fisheries projects will remain viable. The Maharashtra State Irrigation Employees Association has demanded that salaries and allowances continue through the government treasury. Ganesh Sonawane, the association’s secretary, said, “If salaries are secured through the treasury, we have no objection to the board’s autonomy.”