Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: There appears to be no major announcement for Marathwada in the State budget presented by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in the State Assembly on Monday, for the financial year 2025-26.
Ajit Pawar also announced that 99 per cent work of the Samruddhi Highway project was completed which will boost boost trade and commerc in the different regions including Marathwada.
The budget shows provisions for the development of a 1,500 km road network and the upgrading of 7,000 km of existing roads to cemented roads, which will enhance connectivity in regions like Marathwada.
In the budget, there is a significant initiative that involves diverting 54.7 TMC of water from west-flowing rivers into the Godavari basin, aiming to irrigate approximately 2.40 lakh hectares in Marathwada. A survey for this project is currently underway.
It also announced that the Damanganga-Ekdare-Godavari Project is set to supply 3.85 TMC of water, benefiting irrigation for 9,766 hectares in the Jayakwadi Dam command area, with an estimated cost of Rs 2,300 crore.
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There is no major announcement for the region in the budget. The budget provision shows that the Marathwada Water Grid, a project to make the region drought-free, is currently kept for survey purposes only. It is not certain when this project will start, including financial provisions. Compared to the projects announced for irrigation, including communication projects, the region has been left out.