Rajaram Mukne

Advocate Rajaram Mukne popularly known as "Anna" or "Ramrao Mukne" is social worker and politician from Maharashtra, India, who led movements to promote rural development of Thane District, was born in Jawhar State, India on 5 July 1940 to Pandurang Mukne and Anusaya Mukne who had given fight against Untouchability. On 20th May 2012 century of her birthday was on celebrated in Jawhar city

He studied at University of Mumbai, earning an B.A.LLB. While serving in Central Government for eight years, he acquired higher education and obtained Degree in Law. He resigned his government post in Mumbai to practice law in remote rural areas with the motivation to help tribal and scheduled caste people and other disadvantaged populations and to able to actively participate in social work. Mukne is well known personality in legal & social field in Thane District. He is fist advocate in the Thane District among Dalits and Adivasis; and Long experience in profession as lawyer, social work, writing, sufficient knowledge in various field, laws and administration.

Mukne is lawyer by profession who most recently has been appointed as secretary of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) for the state of Maharashtra. He is more social activist than a politician working for rural, Adivasi and needy people in Thane District from last 4 decades.

Political Career
Mukne entered active politics becoming Founder President of Jawhar Taluka Congress Committee and became councillor of Jawhar City from 1972 to 1977 and later on elected as a vice-president of Jawhar Municipal Council from 1977 to 1980 and 1985 to 1988 for two terms. In 1994 he was elected unopposed for the post of President of Jawhar Municipal Council from 1994 to 1997. He was elected twice as director to Thane District Central Cooperative Bank for 1993  to 2003. As a President of Taluka Congress Committee from 1978 to 1999, he worked for the implementation of Twenty Point Garibi Hatao anti-poverty program and Sanjay Gandhi Swavlamban va Niradhar Yojana. He organised the local tribal leaders and became Vice-President of District Indian National Congress in 1999, but after separating from the Indian National Congress Sharad Pawar founded Nationalist Congress Party 1999. So Mukane resigned from [Indian National Congress]] and Join Nationalist Congress Party. In 2000 he was appointed as a Vice-President of Thane DistrictNationalist Congress Party. He is presently state secretary of the NCP in Maharashtra. Prior to his appointment as state Secretary of Nationalist Congress Party, Mukane held various other positions:

Social Work

Free Legal Aid
Advocate Mukne offer free legal aid to needy and poor people. Till now he settled various family disputes, Land disputes, Marital disputes Criminal out of court free of charge. He conducted Lok Nyayalay "Court of public" in villages and avail free legal to solve the disputes at their door step. He never allow poor people to go without lunch or dinner who visit his home for legal advice and help.

Medical Camps
Upto 1980s there ere no medical facilities in this tribal and rural of Thane District. People used to go to "Bhagat" for treatment of disease. Mukane started taking medical camps in this tribal area with the help of his Brother Dr. Vijay Mukne and Dr. Avanti Mukne wife of his brother. They conducted various medical camps in the remote area and provide free medical help and medicines for poor Adivasi patients.

Transport and Roads for communication
Mr. Mukne struggled lot to get attention of Government for the development of this backward area by means of movements like Morcha, hunger strike, meeting with ministers. For gathering people for such movements and creating pressure groups Mukne used to go by walk many kilometres because there were no travelling facilities for want of roads. Many time he used to go by small boats to reach to uncivilised Adivasi people who live in deep forest. Transportation was the one of the main need of Adivasi area for communication with the outer world of the jungle. To bring the Adivasis in main flow of society communication with main cities was very essential. So Mukne decided to build bridges and road network in this jungle and brought pressure on government using his political position to build bridges & roads and start State Transport Buses in this area. When officers of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation used to come to make survey the area to see the feasibility of starting bus service many time they used to deny and reject Mr. Mukne’s proposal of starting bus service in remote jungle are stating the reason of jungle and hilly area. But Mukne did not move behind, he himself started to make his own survey of the proposed road and after planning the direction of route he used to gather people of the villages and firstly he plans cut the trees which create obstacles and made sufficient raw road space for buses. Today in this area almost all villages are connected by bus route and communication became very fast. Because of Mukane’s efforts thr facilities of transportation education health are made available. On account of these facilities the area has been converted into horticulture especially alphonso hapus Mango trees are grownup and people from these tribal areas are getting its financial benefits. This area is now known for green revolution.So people respect him very much in whole rural area. He is like a godfather of Adivasi people.

Education
Mukne brought a sanction from State Government for Degree College & Industrial Training Institute.

Water Supply
During his President-ship of Jawhar Municipal Council Mukne Water Tank was constructed to sufficiat water for hilly area of Jawhar Town.

Bifurcation of Thane District
Advocate Mukne is demanding the new separate district with its head quarter at Jawhar comprising of seven Talukas i.e. Jawhar, Vikramgad, Mokhada, Talasari, Dahanu, Palghar and Wada because. this is the most pitiable state of the affairs of the Tribal populations in Jawhar, Vikramgad, Mokhada, Talasari talukas and some parts of Wada area in Thane District even after 65 years of independence. On an average nearly 75 thousand tribal from this area migrate to cities for eight months in search of livelihood. Unfortunately these who are cheated by the employers are required to return with empty hands. Defective planning, wrong priorities lack of education and absence of motivation for self-improvements are the men reasons for  backwardness of the Tribal. Belated revelation of Wavar – Wangni deaths of hundreds of Adivasi Children due to malnutrition in 1992 attracted attention of the State Government to this plight and eventually for better quicker and co-ordinated administrative measures need for a separated Tribal District was recognized by the then Chief Minister Late Sudhkarao Naik who visited the area trice in 1992 and after due consideration lf the highest level the then Govt. decided that Jawhar being centre of tribal area should be the head quarter of Tribal District and shifted many and the main departments to Jawhar including separate collectorate and they have become functional at Jawhar since 1992. Thus the new Sub-District with its head quarter at Jawhar comprising of seven Talukas i.e. Jawhar, Vikramgad, Mokhada, Talasari, Dahanu, Palghar and Wada has came in existence but state government is thinking to shift the head quarter from Jawhar to Palghar however Mukane states that the bifurcation of Thane District has already taken place and only certain formalities and modalities in that respect have to be declared by the Maharashtra Govt. He says government should declare Jawhar sub-district as a new independent district.

Railway Line for development of Adivasi area
The Dahanu-Jawhar- Nashik railway line, planned during the pre-Independence British era in 1932 by the British government, couldn’t see the light of the day because the adivasis of these areas joined the freedom struggle against the British, following which the plan was dropped. Since then, several committees were formed and satellite survey was also done, but the project couldn’t take off. Since 1989 when Mr. Rajiv Gandhi was Prime Minister of India Advocate Mukne is struggling to sanction the 80 years old demand of Dahanu-Jawhar –Nasik - railway route. later on after satellite survey Railway board of India rejected the project. However Mr. Mukne presented new proposal to Mr. Ram Naik who was Minister of State for Railways, Govt. of India in June 1999 regarding substitute railway link via Thane Biwandi Wada-Vikramgad-Jawhar-Mokhada-Tryambakeshar-Nasik. Mukne stated him that due to lack of education and zero industrialisation, the area has largely remained undeveloped. The new line could bring in prosperity to the area. The Minister promise Mukane to consider the new rail route suggested by him. But no action was taken. Mukne had meeting with Mr. Lalu Prasad Yadav, next Railway Minister In March 2009 to follow his demand of new rail route. He promised to make provision in next railway budget. But later on new ministry was formed and Mrs. Mamata Banerjee became first Woman Railway Minister of India. Advocate Mukne then on 17-12-2009 give her application to look into the matter of 80 year old rail route demand. After Prolong efforts of Mukne the Railway Minister made provision for survey of the railway route. During the last railway budget speech in February 2011, former Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee had mentioned about this particular line and had assured the Parliament that the project will be taken into consideration during the 12th Five Year Plan. Railway Board has informed that a survey for new line between was in progress though target completion date was May 2012. A survey for lying a new 168 kilometer railway line between Nashik and Dahanu Road will be completed soon. }}

Supported Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project (Marathi: जैतापूर अणुऊर्जा प्रकल्प)
Rajaram Mukane supported proposed 9900 MW Jaitapur Nuclear power project of Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) at Madban village of Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra. He appeals the local citizens to be aware of selfish politicians. He wrote articles in newspaper to support the largest nuclear power generating station in the world. Government of Maharashtra republish his article on state government official website. ^http://envis.maharashtra.gov.in/envis_data/?q=m_jaitapur_apr11_nws#dec10_6 .

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