Vidarbha to get top priority for cotton-based industries: Chavan

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan today said that government would give top priority to setting up cotton-based industries in Vidarbha.

Chavan, who was on a two-day visit here, said he had come to take a stock of the problems afflicting the region. "I have met the ministers, MPs, MLAs and office bearers of the local self government agencies, and heard them about local problems," he said at a press conference this morning.

While answering a question as to why the most textile and sugar cooperative factories promoted by Congress's local leaders were defunct, the Chief Minister admitted that there was a lack of "sincerity and effort" on the part of the promoters.

But Chavan denied that leaders set up factories with the intention of embezzling the public money. The Chief Minister also admitted that the cooperative sector in Vidarbha had yet to catch up with that in western Maharashtra.

He assured that adequate funds would be earmarked in the state's budget for payment of compensation for lands acquired for irrigation projects in the district.