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Pandharpur corridor project will be completed in 4 years: CM
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said the work on the ambitious Pandharpur temple corridor project will begin this year and will be completed in the next four years
PUNE: Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said the work on the ambitious Pandharpur temple corridor project will begin this year and will be completed in the next four years, transforming the area around the revered Shri Vitthal-Rukmini Temple into a world-class pilgrimage destination.
After performing the Mahapuja at the Vitthal-Rukmini Temple on the occasion of Ashadhi Ekadashi, Fadnavis said the project aims to provide better facilities for the millions of devotees who visit Pandharpur every year while preserving the town’s religious and cultural heritage.
“We will start corridor-related work this year. To complete the entire corridor project, it will take four years. But the majority of the work we will complete in two-and-a-half-years,’’ Fadnavis said, adding that the concerns of 80-90% of the people affected by the project have already been addressed, while discussions are underway to resolve the issues raised by the remaining stakeholders.
“Everyone should be taken along in the implementation of the project,” he said, adding that those displaced by the redevelopment would be rehabilitated.
Fadnavis expressed confidence that the corridor would significantly improve infrastructure, crowd management and civic amenities around the temple, giving Pandharpur a major facelift.
He said the corridor has been designed so that local traders will benefit from increased business, residents will receive homes, and tenants will also be suitably accommodated. Once completed, the project will ensure better crowd management and improved amenities for devotees irrespective of the number of pilgrims visiting the temple.
Govt working to reduce cost of cultivation
When asked about the purchase of farm produce at Minimum Support Price (MSP), Fadnavis said, “Every year the government is purchasing record-breaking farm produce at MSP. But today we face the challenge of rising production costs. The state government is working to reduce the cost of cultivation through initiatives such as free electricity, subsidies for drip irrigation systems, solar pumps and farm equipment.”
He also highlighted the government’s focus on promoting natural farming and the use of Mahavistaar artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce production costs by 25% and improve agricultural productivity.
