The Wadhwan Port has been given all environmental clearances by the Central government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will do the bhoomi pujan of this long-awaited project this month, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Thursday. The Wadhwan Port, which has one of the deepest drafts, will be a game-changer for Maharashtra, Fadnavis said. He was speaking at the District Development Index report unveiling event organised by Loksatta in Mumbai.
In the past, there were protests from locals as they raised concerns over environment. These aspects have been considered with a new right-off way that will pass through sea without causing any environmental damage.
While emphasising the importance of district development, Fadnavis said that almost 50 per cent of state GDP is confined to five districts. It includes Mumbai, which is the commercial capital of the country. Fadnavis admitted that regional imbalance within districts is a reality. And the disparity has to be effectively tackled to ensure uniform growth and development in state. For this, we have to quantify the disparity and accordingly take concrete measures to bridge the gap, he said.
The state government has taken the initiative towards addressing the district disparity on priority basis. The backward district of Gadchiroli, which has earned the tag of a naxal belt, will soon become the steel hub of India.
Fadnavis said, “Huge investments are flowing in Gadchiroli. The development in the district will ensure plenty of employment opportunities.”
The Deputy Chief Minister said, “Tata Group’s Air India has taken the decision to purchase 1,000 aircraft. Now, we need so many pilots. Taking into consideration these factors, we have decided to set up the biggest pilot training centre at Amravati. When you have projects and centres of such magnitude, it will transform the face of the district.”
The district hardly had one flight coming in a day. These are the changes which are taking place in the state. The MoU with South Asia for the pilot centre will be a step forward towards makeover of Amravati in Vidarbha region, Fadnavis stated.
Commenting on Wadhwan Port, the Deputy CM said that Palghar district has always been dismissed as a backward district. With bullet train passing through and the port, the district will march forward.
Chief Economic Advisor of Government of India, V Anantha Nageswaran, who was the chief guest at the District Development Index event organised by Loksatta, laid emphasis on data collection for development of districts. “The districts play a significant role in development of nation. It is the growth engine. To achieve these goals, information and data are important,” he said.
Nageswaran, during an interactive session coordinated by Ajit Ranade of Gokhale Institute, expressed concerns over growth disparity in districts even within the progressive states.
In India, the average district population is 18.6 lakh. It is less than Bhutan and Singapore. It shows to what extent good governance in district plays importance.”
There are 707 districts, out of which there are 195 districts where mother’s education level is at par with that of father. In previous generation, there were only eleven such districts. This progress was an outcome of governance initiative in gender disparity. “The approach to district planning should be from top to bottom,” he said.