Mumbai: The Maharashtra government on Saturday approved a ₹12,000-crore infrastructure development package for the long-neglected Vidarbha region, covering 11 districts in eastern Maharashtra. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde described the package as the state’s “biggest ever developmental commitment to Vidarbha.”
The Cabinet decision includes construction and upgrade of 3,200 kilometres of state and district highways, completion of pending irrigation projects covering 4.5 lakh hectares of agricultural land, establishment of two new industrial corridors near Nagpur and Amravati, and upgrades to five regional airports including Gondia and Yavatmal.
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who represents a Nagpur constituency, called the package “transformative” and said it would generate over 2 lakh direct and indirect employment opportunities in the region over the next five years. “Vidarbha has always had the potential — what it needed was focused investment, and that is what we are delivering today,” Fadnavis said.
The Vidarbha region, despite being rich in cotton production and natural resources, has historically lagged behind Konkan and western Maharashtra in per capita income and development indicators. The region has also reported persistently high rates of farmer suicides, prompting successive governments to announce special packages.
Opposition parties, including the Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT), were quick to question the timing of the announcement, noting that the state assembly elections are due in less than a year. Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat said, “Every time elections approach, Vidarbha suddenly gets attention. We have seen this film before.” He demanded a concrete timeline and accountability mechanism for the expenditure.
The package will be funded through a combination of state budget allocations, central government grants under PMGSY and PMKSY, and bonds to be raised by the Maharashtra Infrastructure Development Corporation.
