MUMBAI: BJP MLA from Andheri (West)
Ameet Satam
on Friday introduced a private members bill called the Maharashtra Future Generations Welfare Bill in the state
legislative assembly
. Satam said the Bill is aimed at the overall well-being of future generations and to achieve a sustainable future for all. This Bill is based on the
Wales
’ Well-Being of Future Generations Act, 2015.
After introducing the bill in the legislative assembly on Friday, Satam said, “The aim is to make the government's decision-making and functioning aligned with the United Nations Development Programme (
UNDP
) 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is to ensure that the government is working towards achieving sustainable development goals. These 17 SDGs should be defined by the government for the respective government departments for the next 25 years.”
Officials said that the Bill will now be tabled before the house for discussion at the next session of the legislature. “After the discussion, the govt can request the MLA to withdraw the bill and introduce the bill as a govt bill. The bill can also be referred to a committee if the govt feels so. Then if the Bill is passed then the office of the Future Generations Commissioner can be set up by an Act of the legislature,” said an official.
Satam further stated that a Commissionerate of Future Generations should be established to monitor and oversee the functioning of the various government departments. “This will ensure that irrespective of the government led by any party, each department will have to follow a path that leads towards the already set goals and parameters and in line with sustainable development. This will pave the way for a Sukhi, Samruddha, Samadhani and Surakshit Maharashtra,” Satam said.
Satam learnt about the Act when he took part in the Maharashtra Legislator’s Learning Exchange Programme in 2023 on Good Governance and Public Policy at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) in UK. The delegation consisted of 12 legislators from Maharashtra from across political parties.
The Well-being of Future Generations Act was passed by the Welsh government in 2015. Unique to Wales, the Act has attracted interest from countries across the world, offering a huge opportunity to make a long-lasting, positive change to current and future generations.
In Feb 2024, Wales’ Future Generations Commissioner Derek Walker visited Mumbai and spoke to legislators at the Maharashtra legislature and gave details about the Welsh Act and urged Maharashtra legislators to think about such an Act for Maharashtra.
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