Rs 10,000 cr package for Vidarbha announced

Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan today announced a financial package of Rs 10,000 crore to carry out various developmental works in Vidarbha region, assuring to implement it within three years.

Making the announcement on the floor of the house amidst thumping of desks from treasury benches, Chavan said a major portion of Rs 3,094 crore would be spent on completion of 20 pending water conservation projects during the year 2009 and 2010.

They include Lower Vena (Nagpur), Purna and Chandrabhaga (Amravati), Utawali (Buldhana), Khadakpurna (Buldana), Gosikhurd (Bhandara) and 21 other minor projects.

By completing these projects 57,577 hectares of land will be irrigated by June 2010, he said.

Five four-lane roads are being laid under private participation with a total length of 222 km in the region and would be completed within two years by Public Works Department, he said.

Two bridges and 25 roads with a total length of 266 km will also be constructed with financial assistance from Centre, he said.

The government has decided to handover 24.61 hectares of land under Urban Land Ceiling Act (ULC) to Nagpur Housing and Area Development Board and remaining 552.24 hectares will also be handed over within two months, Chavan said.