Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in the union Budget, has announced the allocation of funds for the development of Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Most district headquarters in the Marathwada region fall under the Tier 3 category. As a result, these cities will receive central funding for the development of infrastructure.
Cities are classified based on population and the availability of infrastructure. Cities with a population between 5 lakh and 50 lakh are categorized as Tier 2, while those with a population of less than 5 lakh fall under the Tier 3 category. In Marathwada, major cities include Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Beed, Latur, Parbhani, Nanded, Hingoli, and Dharashiv. Except for Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, all other cities fall under the Tier 3 category. The central government has made special budgetary provisions to promote infrastructure development in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. This funding will be provided to these cities over a period of five years. Commenting on the development, entrepreneur and social and economic affairs expert Mukund Kulkarni described the announcement as a hopeful and encouraging development for Marathwada.