The district of Buldhana, located in the Amravati division of Vidharbha, has witnessed development drives in several fields by Maharashtra Sevak Devendra Fadnavis. During his tenure as Chief Minister from 2014 to 2019, as well as as Deputy Chief Minister from June 2022 to December 2024, and again as Chief Minister from December 5, 2024, Buldhanatil Fadnavis took many initiatives in areas like agriculture, irrigation, health, basic services, justice system, social welfare, etc. to bring about an all round development to the district. Also noteworthy are his efforts for the district in terms of drought eradication projects, river interlinking projects, women empowerment and loan facilities for them at affordable interest rates, etc.
A slew of projects for the district of Buldhana to step up irrigation
To increase the irrigation capacity of Buldhana district, the central government had sanctioned development funds of Rs 10,172 crore under various schemes in 2017. This included the Baliraja Jal Sanjivani Yojana, under which funds of Rs 6061 crore were allocated for 8 projects, namely Jigaon irrigation project in Nandura, Alewadi micro project in Sangrampur, Chondi and Arkacheri micro projects, Nimna Dayaganga (Khamgaon) project, Durgabori medium project (Mehkar), Digras Kolhapuri Dam (Deulgaon Raja), Borkhedi (Lonar) and Rehra micro irrigation project in Motala taluka. The commencement ceremony of the Baliraja Jal Sanjivani Yojana in Buldhana and Akola districts was attended by the then Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.
The Devendra Fadnavis government always took initiative for the completion of Jigaon irrigation project on the Purna River of Tapi valley, located in Nandura taluka. As a result, the project got included in the Baliraja Jal Sanjeevani Yojana and Governor Irrigation Arrears Elimination Program. Its total irrigation area is 87,540 hectares of land, of which 79,840 hectares are in Buldhana district, spread over 268 villages in 6 talukas. In 2019, the first Fadnavis government had approved an expenditure of Rs 13,874.59 crore for this project. Under the Mahayuti government 1.0, an additional fund of Rs 1710.84 crore was approved for this project in the state cabinet meeting held on 30 May 2023, as per the recommendations of the State Technical Advisory Committee and the Planning Department. Also, the Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation gave the fourth revised administrative approval of Rs 34 thousand 926 crore 32 lakh for this project in 2024. With this, a total of 32 old irrigation projects have been restarted in the district of Buldhana to bring about 8 lakh hectares of land under irrigation.
Buldhan has always made progress under Devendra Fadnavis’s governments
In February 2015, the first Fadnavis government had taken important steps to ensure crop loans for farmers by approving bank guarantees to district cooperative banks. The banks earlier refused to sanction fresh loans to the farmers who couldn’t repay their previous loans due to the long spell of drought and similar reasons. The then government had also taken steps towards tourism development in Buldhana district through development of its cultural places. In March 2017, a development fund of Rs. 234.58 crores had been approved for Sri Kshetra Mahurgada and Rs. 93.46 crores for the development and promotion of Lonarchaya. In 2022, the Mahayuti government approved the Rs 370 crore fund prepared for the Lonar Sarovar project; 5 ministerial departments were made responsible for monitoring the works under this project, which entailed preservation and promotion of Lonar and increasing tourism. Similarly, 17 more projects were started in Buldhana district at a total cost of Rs 17.87 crore, under the Chief Minister Rural Water Supply Scheme in October 2018. These projects were undertaken to resolve the issue of drinking water in the rural areas in Buldhana district.
Health, housing and infrastructure facilities in Buldhana district
In some parts of Buldhana district, housing development was approved under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Maharashtra, Ramai Gharkul Yojana, Yashwantrao Chavan Free Colony, and Minority Gharkul Scheme. Devendra Fadnavis, when he was the Deputy Chief Minister, instructed the concerned agencies in August 2024 to speed up the work done on Gharkulanchi and provided funds for it. 457 houses had been approved in Chikhali. Fadnavis had also approved the proposal to expand 100 beds in the sub-district hospital in Chikhali and construct an additional building for it. Devendra Fadnavis gave instructions to provide project related certificate under PAP to the owner of the land allotted for Chikhali MIDC, start work on access roads and highway connecting Chikhli, Buldhana and Malkapur and other towns from Palashkhed on Samruddhi Highway, and give the go-ahead to the Khadak Purna project. In October 2024, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis performed bhoomi pujan and inauguration of more than Rs 2,365 crore worth of development works including roads, electricity, water, health, educational infrastructure facilities in Khamgaon.
In the Cabinet meeting held in June 2023, a decision was taken to establish a government agriculture college in Buldhana. Accordingly, an agricultural college with a capacity of 50 students is going to be started under Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Agricultural University. For this, 43 posts have been sanctioned, and a grant worth Rs 146 crore 54 lakh has been approved. Similarly, to speed up the justice process for the people of Buldhana, a decision was taken through a cabinet meeting to establish a regular court in Malkapur. When it comes to drought control and ensuring permanent availability of water from the available water sources, 36 lakh 58 thousand cubic meters of water capacity would have been created by removing silt from 230 reservoirs in the district under ‘Sujlam Sufalam Buldhana’ (Dushkalmukti Yojana) or Abhiyaan. Due to the positive result from this campaign in increasing the water level in Buldhana district, the Fadnavis government has taken the decision to run this campaign throughout the state. Parallely, as per the decision taken a few months ago, the Chief Minister’s Assistance Fund Cell has been started in the Buldhana District Magistrate’s office. Due to which help has started pouring in for the drought-affected farmers.
Under the Devendra Fadnavis government, the district of Buldhana made many strides in development, including irrigation facilities, health facilities for farmers, houses for all, roads, and a judicial system, which are reflected in the standard of living of the local people.
Related articles: