The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated, dedicated to the nation and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth about Rs 7500 crores in sectors like health, rail, road, oil and gas in Shirdi, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra today. The multiple development projects include Ayush Hospital at Ahmednagar Civil Hospital; Electrification of Kurduwadi-Latur Road railway section (186 Km); 3rd & 4th railway lines connecting Jalgaon to Bhusaval (24.46 km); four laning of Sangli to Borgaon section of NH-166 (Package-I); and additional facilities at Manmad Terminal of Indian Oil Corporation Limited. He laid the foundation stone of the Maternal & Child Health Wing at Ahmednagar Civil Hospital. Shri Modi also distributed Ayushman cards and Svamitva cards to beneficiaries.

Among other projects, Shri Modi inaugurated the new Darshan Queue complex at Shirdi, dedicated to the nation the left bank (85km) canal network of the Nilwande Dam, and launched the ‘Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Nidhi Yojana’ benefitting more than 86 lakh farmer-beneficiaries.

Earlier in the day, Shri Modi performed pooja and darshan at Shri Saibaba Samadhi Temple, Shirdi and performed the Jal Pujan of Nilwande Dam. 

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that projects worth Rs 7500 crores are being inaugurated and foundation stones being laid with the blessings of Sai Baba. Referring to the work of Nilwande Dam which had been pending for 5 decades, the Prime Minister mentioned its inauguration today. He also expressed gratitude for getting the opportunity to perform Jal Pujan at the site. Speaking about the Darshan Queue Complex at Shri Saibaba Samadhi Temple, Shri Modi informed about laying its foundation stone in October 2018 and said that it will further increase the convenience for pilgrims from India and abroad.

The Prime Minister mentioned the sad demise of  Baba Maharaj Satarkar of the Warkari community this morning. The Prime Minister paid tribute to the Baba Maharaj and recalled his work of social awareness by Kirtan and Pravachan which will keep on inspiring the generations to come. 

“The true meaning of social justice is when the nation is free from poverty and the poor get ample opportunities”, the Prime Minister underlined as he reiterated the Government’s mantra of ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’.  He underlined that the welfare of the poor is the highest priority of the double-engine government and informed about increasing the budget for the same as the country’s economy is expanding. He mentioned distributing 1 crore 10 lakh Ayushman Cards to beneficiaries in Maharashtra who will receive health insurance up to Rs 5 lakh where the Government is spending Rs 70,000 crores. He also informed about the government expenditure of more than Rs 4 lakh crores each for providing free ration to the poor and constructing pucca houses for them. The Prime Minister also pointed out that the said expenditure is six times more than what it was in the decade before 2014. To provide tapped water supply to the homes of the poor, the Prime Minister informed that the government has spent more than Rs 2 lakh crores. Under PM Svanidhi Scheme, he informed that street vendors are getting assistance up to thousands of rupees. Shri Modi also touched upon the newly launched PM Vishwakarma Scheme which aids lakhs of families of carpenters, goldsmiths, potters and sculptors with a government expenditure of more than Rs 13,000 crores.

Talking about the small farmers, the Prime Minister mentioned PM Kisan Samman Nidhi under which small farmers received 2 lakh 60 thousand crore rupees including 26 thousand crore rupees for the small farmers of Maharashtra. He expressed happiness that the Maharashtra Government has started ‘Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Nidhi Yojana’ under which Maharashtra Shetkari families will get an extra 6000 rupees, meaning local small farmers will get 12,000 rupees of Samman Nidhi, he said. 

Throwing light on the Nilwande project which was approved in 1970 and had been pending for 5 decades, the Prime Minister highlighted that it came to completion only after the present government came to power. “Those doing vote politics in the name of farmers have made you yearn for every drop of water”, he interjected, “Today Jal Pujan was performed here.” He mentioned that the Right Bank Canal will soon become operational. He also touched upon the Baliraja Jal Sanjeevani Yojana which is also proving to be a boon for the drought-affected areas of the state. He underlined that the central government is working towards completing 26 more irrigation projects in Maharashtra that have been pending for decades which will be of great benefit to the farmers in the region.

The Prime Minister emphasized that the government is committed to the empowerment of farmers. The Prime Minister informed that in the 7 years foodgrain worth 13.5 lakh crore rupees was procured under MSP while this figure was a mere 3.5 lakh crore during the tenure of a senior leader in the earlier government. Oilseed and pulses worth 1 lakh 15 thousand crore were procured after 2014 compared to 500-600 crore rupees worth MSP procurement earlier. Direct Benefit transfer has removed corruption and leakage, he said.

Speaking about the recent Cabinet Decisions to increase the MSP for Rabi crops, Shri Modi informed that the MSP of gram has been increased by Rs 105 and that of wheat and safflower by Rs 150. He also mentioned that the MSP of sugarcane has been increased to Rs 315 per quintal. In the last 9 years, the Prime Minister informed that ethanol worth about Rs 70,000 crores has been purchased and the money has reached the sugarcane farmers. “To ensure timely payment to sugarcane farmers, assistance worth thousands of crores of rupees has been provided to sugar mills and cooperative societies”, he added.

The Prime Minister said “Our government is working to strengthen the cooperative movement. More than 2 lakh cooperative societies are being formed across the country.” To ensure better storage and old storage facilities PACs and cooperatives are being provided facilities. Small farmers are being organized through FPOs as more than 7500 FPOs are already functional. 

Concluding the address, the Prime Minister said “Maharashtra has been a center of immense potential and possibilities. The faster Maharashtra develops, the faster India will develop.” Prime Minister Modi also recalled flagging off the Vande Bharat train connecting Mumbai and Shirdi and highlighted that the network of railways is continuously expanding in Maharashtra. He noted that movement on the Mumbai-Howrah rail route will become easier with the commencement of the third and fourth railway lines between Jalgaon and Bhusaval. Similarly, the construction of four-lane road from Solapur to Borgaon will improve the connectivity of the entire Konkan region benefitting the industries as well as sugarcane, grape and turmeric farmers in the region. “This connectivity will create a new path not only for transport but also for progress and economic development”, he concluded.

Governor of Maharashtra, Shri Ramesh Bais, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Eknath Shinde, and Deputy Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis and Shri Ajit Pawar were present on the occasion among others.

Background

Inaugurated by the Prime Minister, the new Darshan Queue complex at Shirdi is a state-of-the-art modern mega building envisaged to provide comfortable waiting areas for the devotees. It is equipped with several waiting halls with a cumulative seating capacity of more than ten thousand devotees. It provides air-conditioned public amenities like cloakrooms, toilets, booking counters, prasad counters, information center etc. The foundation stone of this new Darshan Queue Complex was laid by the Prime Minister in October 2018.

The Prime Minister dedicated to the nation the left bank (85km) canal network of the Nilwande Dam. It will benefit 182 villages from 7 Tehsils (6 in Ahmednagar district and 1 from Nashik district) by facilitating pipe distribution networks of water.  The idea of Nilwande Dam was first conceived in 1970. It is being developed at a cost of about Rs 5177 crores.

The Prime Minister launched the ‘Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Nidhi Yojana’. The Yojna will benefit more than 86 lakh beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana in Maharashtra by providing an additional amount of Rs 6000 per year to them.

The Prime Minister also inaugurated and dedicated to the nation multiple development projects including Ayush Hospital at Ahmednagar Civil Hospital; Electrification of Kurduwadi-Latur Road railway section (186 Km); 3rd & 4th railway line connecting Jalgaon to Bhusaval (24.46 km);  four laning of Sangli to Borgaon section of NH-166 (Package-I); and additional facilities at Manmad Terminal of Indian Oil Corporation Limited. He laid the foundation stone of the Maternal & Child Health Wing at Ahmednagar Civil Hospital. Shri Modi also distributed Ayushman cards and Svamitva cards to beneficiaries.

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