Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said on Sunday he hoped the Centre will provide financial aid for the ambitious water grid project in Marathwada, and announced that the state will implement an array of welfare measures to commemorate Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 73rd birthday.
Shinde, who was speaking at an event in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to commemorate the Marathwada Liberation Day, said they have also made a request for Central assistance for the water grid project to PM Modi, who turned 73 on Sunday.
The region, comprising eight districts, was under the oppressive rule of the Nizam of Hyderabad. An uprising of peasants and common citizens ensured the defeat of the Nizam and his Razakar militia and the region merged with India on September 17, 1948.
“We are trying to divert the run-off water during the monsoon towards the Godavari river basin. The state government has allocated Rs 15,000 crore for the ambitious Marathwada grid project. We have also requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi for (Central) assistance. I am sure we will get support from the Union government,” he said.
The chief minister said the state government had allotted several hundred crore rupees for the betterment of roads and other infrastructure in Marathwada and assured people that a change for the better will be seen in the coming days.
The region is generally considered less prosperous, mainly due to insufficient rainfall.
“Rains have taken a break which is affecting farmers in the region. Last year, when farmers were affected due to the same problem, we had gone beyond the rules and distributed more funds to minimize their misery,” the CM said.
The Maharashtra government held a special cabinet meeting in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly Aurangabad) on Saturday to mark the 75th year of the Marathwada Liberation Day.
CM Shinde also announced a package of Rs 45,000 crore for the development of Marathwada as well as revised administrative sanctions for irrigation projects worth Rs 14,000 crore.
The Marathwada region comprises eight districts – Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (previously known as Aurangabad), Dharashiv (previously known as Osmanabad), Jalna, Beed, Latur, Nanded, Hingoli and Parbhani.
Later, speaking to reporters in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Shinde said Maharashtra will implement the NaMo 11-point programmes, an array of welfare measures, to commemorate the 73rd birthday of PM Modi.
The first programme will be called the ‘NaMo Women Empowerment Campaign’ under which various government schemes will cover 73 lakh women, he said. As many as 40 lakh women will be connected with self-help groups, while 20 lakh more will be connected with “Shakti groups”, Shinde said.
Mission Shakti, a flagship programme of the Union government, aims at empowering women through self-help groups and gainful activities by providing credit and market linkage.
“The campaign has also set a target of giving employment and technical training to 5 lakh women, capital for 5 lakh women to start their own business and helping 3 lakh women entrepreneurs to access market and customers,” the CM said.
The ‘NaMo Labour Welfare Campaign’ will provide safety kits to 73,000 construction workers in the state. The ‘NaMo Farm Pond Campaign’ has set a target of construction of 73,000 farm ponds in the state to increase the capacity to store water received through rainfall, Shinde said.
The ‘NaMo Self-reliant and Solar Power Campaign’ is aimed at making 73,000 villages in the state self-reliant on aspects like water, processing of agricultural produce and its marketing. The campaign also includes the construction of pucca houses, toilets and roads, and focuses on creating jobs at the village level, he said.
‘NaMo Poor and Backward Class Honour Campaign’ will focus on building pucca houses for the poor and the backward classes and construction of pucca roads, community halls and improvement in electricity supply, he said.
Under the ‘NaMo Gram Sachiwalay Campaign’, at least 73 new gram panchayat offices will be built in every district. These offices will have good internet connectivity and operate on solar energy, Shinde said.
The other initiatives are ‘NaMo Tribal Smart School Campaign’, ‘NaMo Divyang Shakti Campaign’, ‘NaMo Sports Grounds and Gardens Campaign’, ‘NaMo City Beautification Campaign’ and ‘NaMo Holy Places and Fort Restoration and Protection Campaign’, Shinde added.
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