MUMBAI/NAGPUR: Maharashtra government is contemplating to introduce a separate 'happiness ministry' to encourage positivity in the society, minister for revenue, relief and rehabilitation, PWD and agriculture Chandrakant Patil has said.
Patil voiced the idea while addressing a workshop organised by Commonwealth Parliamentary Board of the state legislature at Nagpur. He was speaking on Contribution of PWD and Revenue departments in basic infrastructure development in Maharashtra before students of political science and public administration.
"There are rich and poor people in the society. Some of them are happy but away from bliss while some experience bliss but are not able to enjoy the riches of life. All this happens because of the influence of negative thinking. With a view to making the people of the state happy and blissful and to make them feel secure and to encourage positivity among them the state government is planning to introduce 'Happiness Ministry'," Patil said at the workshop.
"The government is focusing on development through various schemes, but people are not happy about it. Many patients are there who don't have anybody to care for them. This leads to inferiority complex among them. A particular psychological frame is necessary to serve the patients. The government wants to develop this social psyche that would help such patients," the minister added while elaborating the idea.
"The state government is trying to instil the feeling of 'live for the country', 'help others' and intends to end the sorrow through such activities," the minister said.
Positivity is not a commodity available in the market, the minister said and added that the experiment of creating positivity will definitely help the development process in Maharashtra. Neighbouring states of Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, already have happiness ministries.
"Maharashtra is studying their experiment and would set up the happiness ministry once the study is complete and a concrete ideas regarding what are the things to be done, who should they be done etc.," the minister said.