Key Concerns Raised in the Budget:
- MIHAN Neglected Again – No mention, no funds
- Metro and Airport – Token mentions, no concrete plans
- Vidarbha’s Strengths Overlooked – No focus on tourism or minerals
- Logistics Policy and Zone – Still just talk, no execution
- Weavers’ Urban Haat – Old promises repackaged
- Industrial Policy – Big numbers, no clarity on implementation
- Ramtek Temple Restoration – No financial commitment
Nagpur: A Victim of Political Apathy?
Are Nagpur and Vidarbha being sidelined year after year? This pressing question resonates deeply among citizens, especially in the wake of the Maharashtra budget presentation. Despite repeated assurances, the budget has once again failed to deliver on crucial development projects, leaving Nagpurians feeling ignored and enraged.
On Monday, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, also the Finance Minister, presented the state budget. Hopes were high for long-overdue commitments, but what followed was sheer disappointment. Key projects were merely mentioned as formalities, with no substantial financial allocations.
The Mahayuti government appears entangled in political maneuvering, prioritizing power games over genuine development. The absence of budgetary support for major projects has left Nagpurians questioning the government’s sincerity.
MIHAN: A Broken Dream?
Once envisioned as a game-changer for Vidarbha’s economy, the Multi-modal International Cargo Hub and Airport at Nagpur (MIHAN) was supposed to be the city’s industrial and employment powerhouse. Decades later, its promises remain largely unfulfilled. This year’s budget didn’t even acknowledge MIHAN, let alone allocate funds for its expansion. Last year’s provisions for rehabilitation are also absent this time.
Has MIHAN become nothing more than a failed dream?
While designed as a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) meant to attract IT giants, aviation firms, and manufacturing units, the reality remains bleak. Bureaucratic hurdles, inconsistent policies, and sluggish infrastructure development have stunted its growth. If MIHAN was meant to be the backbone of Vidarbha’s progress, why is it continuously overlooked in the budget?
Metro and Airport: Empty Promises, No Execution
While the budget acknowledged the Nagpur Metro and Airport, it offered no substantial commitments. The only mention of the airport was an ongoing runway recarpeting project—already set for completion by March 31. There was no mention of GMR taking over Nagpur Airport, no clarity on land transfers, and no government-backed funding for new airport development.
Similarly, the Metro project remains uncertain. The budget stated that Phase 1 (40 km) is complete and that Phase 2 (43.8 km) is in progress at ₹6,708 crore, but there was no allocation of funds for further expansion. If the state government is a major stakeholder, why is it reluctant to fund its progress?
Nagpur Airport bears an “international” tag but operates only two international flights—Doha and Sharjah—and not even daily.
When will Nagpur truly get the international connectivity it deserves?
Vidarbha’s Key Strengths Ignored Yet Again
Vidarbha boasts immense tourism potential and rich mineral reserves, yet both sectors have been completely ignored in the budget. There is still no concrete mineral policy despite the region’s abundant untapped natural wealth.
Why is Vidarbha’s economic potential being sidelined while other regions receive priority?
Logistics Policy & Zone – Just Another Distant Dream?
The Finance Minister reiterated past promises of creating a logistics policy and establishing a logistics hub in Nagpur. However, this is nothing new—such announcements have been made for years without any real progress. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had previously assured a ₹1,200 crore investment for the logistics zone, but where is the money? There was no update on where the zone will be built or how funds will be utilized.
Will the logistics hub remain a mere election slogan?
Weavers’ Urban Haat: An Old Announcement, Repackaged
The budget touted an Urban Haat for weavers, but this is not a new initiative. A similar project is already under development in Koradi. If the government is serious about empowering weavers, why isn’t there a financial provision for expansion?
Industrial Policy: Big Promises, No Execution Plan
The Finance Minister announced a new industrial policy aiming to create 16 lakh jobs with an investment of ₹16 lakh crore. Nagpur is expected to receive ₹5 lakh crore in investment. But where is the clarity on land availability? With MIDC running out of land in most Vidarbha districts, how will these investments materialize?
Is this just another grand announcement with no roadmap?
Ramtek Temple Restoration: A Cultural Icon, But No Funds?
Ramtek Temple, a historical and religious landmark, is undergoing restoration. However, despite announcing plans for a cultural festival, the budget offered no financial clarity for restoration work. Similarly, the Go Vigyan Research Center in Deolapar, focusing on indigenous cow research, was mentioned without any financial commitment.
Is the government merely using cultural sentiments for optics?
Nagpur: Always Left Behind?
Once again, the Maharashtra budget has failed Nagpur and Vidarbha. Infrastructure projects remain underfunded, industries are ignored, and critical sectors like minerals and tourism see no focus. While other cities receive preferential treatment, Nagpur is forced to wait indefinitely.
Will Nagpur ever get the development it has been promised for decades? Or is it doomed to remain an afterthought in Maharashtra’s economic planning?
