₹22,122-cr special package for Vidarbha and Marathwada

NAGPUR: The Bjp-led government on Friday announced a comprehensive ₹22,122-crore package for various development activities in backward regions of Vidarbha and Marathwada and assured that no stone will be left unturned for the development of these two regions.

Announcing this in the Assembly on the last day of the monsoon session, Maharashtra finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said the package includes ₹13,422crore for completing 89 pending irrigation projects in the two regions which suffered due to non-availability of irrigation facilities. The government would also set up a special facility in Nagpur to monitor the implementation of the package, he said. Mungantiwar slammed the Opposition, especially Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil for blaming the government’s “failure” to contain farmers’ distress in the state, stating that as many as 17,703 farmers had committed suicide in the 15-year regime of Congress-ncp.

The special package would focus on the development of industries, irrigation facilities, agriculture and tourism in the two regions, Mungantiwar said.

As part of the package, a milk collection network and processing facilities would be created, he

said, adding that a new government milk brand, ‘Gondavana’, would be created on the lines of ‘Mahananda’ brand. A plant will be set up in Gadchiroli district to manufacture milk products under the brand name.

In his reply to Opposition allegations, chief minister Devendra

Fadnavis vehemently denied favouring builders in Mumbai development plans. On the contrary, he took a dig at the Opposition saying that certain projects were cleared during the previous regime, while pointing towards former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan.