Maharashtra will play a crucial role in India’s journey towards becoming a “Viksit Bharat”, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Saturday, highlighting the state’s economic growth and contribution to national development.
Speaking after hoisting the national flag at Mantralaya on Independence Day, Fadnavis said Maharashtra was India’s largest economy and had recorded around 8.8 per cent growth in the first half of the year.
He said the government was working to ensure that development was not concentrated in a few areas, but reached every district and the last person. Around 13 districts, he said, had made significant progress towards becoming “growth engines”, with efforts under way to extend development to areas such as Gadchiroli and Palghar.
Fadnavis said Maharashtra’s development was being pursued in line with the principles of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the Constitution drafted under the leadership of Dr B R Ambedkar.
He said the state had emerged as a major destination for startups and investment, creating employment opportunities for young people. Maharashtra had become the country’s “startup capital”, while an education city coming up in the state would provide cutting-edge education, he added.
The chief minister said targeted schemes were also being prepared for deprived sections of society to ensure that the benefits of development reached everyone.
Referring to India’s progress, Fadnavis said the country had emerged as the world’s fourth-largest economy and that 25 crore people had been lifted out of poverty. He said the concept of “Viksit Bharat” went beyond economic growth and sought to improve the lives of all sections of society, including the poor, Dalits, tribals, farmers, farm labourers and women.
He said Maharashtra would have a particularly important role in achieving this national goal.
Fadnavis also highlighted initiatives for farmers, saying 56 lakh farmers would benefit from the state’s Rs 36,585-crore loan waiver scheme. He said 76 per cent of farmers were now receiving electricity during the daytime and expressed confidence that this would reach 100 per cent within the next year.
He also cited river-linking projects in parts of north and western Maharashtra as part of efforts to prevent future droughts.
Modern and world-class education, including the entry of foreign universities, was another area of focus, he said.
Fadnavis urged citizens to remain conscious of their constitutional duties alongside their rights and called on them to ensure that the Tricolour always “flies high”.
(With inputs from PTI)