Mumbai, May 11 (PTI) The Maharashtra government today signed an MoU with the Centres Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) Council to train state PWD officials to rate government buildings.

A state government release issued today said that Maharashtra was the first state to sign such an MoU.

As per the agreement signed today, the GRIHA Council, a green rating body under the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, would train PWD's civil and electrical engineers and architects to rate government buildings as per its parameters, an official statement said.

PWD minister Chandrakant Patil said the aim was to encourage environment-friendly buildings.

In January this year, the state government and the GRIHA Council had signed a MoU to construct government complexes as green buildings which would minimise the use of electricity while optimising the use of natural light and non-conventional energy.

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