A memorial, an agriculture college, and a veterinary hospital — all unveiled in a single ceremony in Nagpur on Thursday, 12 November 2026. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was present at the unveiling of the memorial dedicated to Loknete Late Dattabhau Meghe and the inauguration of a cluster of development projects in Ramtek, honouring a leader whose influence over Vidarbha stretched across education, healthcare, and employment for decades.

Three institutions, one legacy

The inauguration — conducted at the hands of RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat and in the presence of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari — covered three distinct institutions: the Nandakishore Jaiswal College of Agriculture, the Shalinitai Datta Meghe Veterinary Hospital, and the Late Shri Dattaji Meghe Smruti Dalan. Each facility reflects one strand of the late leader's stated priority: quality education and rural welfare within reach of Ramtek's communities.

Fadnavis described the agriculture college and veterinary hospital as 'an important step' toward realising Dattabhau Meghe's vision, noting their role in 'supporting climate-resilient farming, animal welfare, farmers and rural communities.' Both institutions sit at the intersection of two enduring pressure points for Vidarbha — agrarian distress and the lack of professional rural-healthcare infrastructure.

Dattabhau Meghe's footprint in Vidarbha

Late Dattabhau Meghe was a prominent regional figure whose contribution to eastern Maharashtra went well beyond electoral politics. His work in education and healthcare — carried forward today by the Meghe Foundation — built a network of institutions that made him a reference point for community-driven public service in the region. Sameer Meghe, MLA and member of the family, was among the dignitaries on the dais, alongside Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, MoS Ashish Jaiswal, and MoS Dr. Pankaj Bhoyar.

Fadnavis called the Meghe family's continued work 'heartening', crediting them with carrying forward 'values of quality and people-centric service' — an alignment the BJP has consistently highlighted when associating itself with legacy regional figures in Maharashtra.

RSS, BJP, and Vidarbha's development grammar

The presence of Dr. Mohan Bhagwat at an inauguration alongside a sitting Chief Minister and a Union Minister is in keeping with an established pattern in Maharashtra's political landscape — RSS leadership participating in local development and legacy events, particularly in the Nagpur belt, which is both Bhagwat's and Gadkari's home turf. It signals institutional continuity rather than a departure.

Vidarbha has long been a priority zone for agricultural investment in Maharashtra's policy vocabulary. The launch of an agriculture college with a climate-resilient farming mandate, and a veterinary hospital to serve animal welfare needs, feeds directly into that framework — building professional capacity in a region where farmer welfare remains a live electoral and humanitarian concern.

What Ramtek gains from here

With the Nandakishore Jaiswal College of Agriculture now operational, Ramtek gains a local pipeline for trained agricultural professionals — a gap that has historically pushed rural youth toward cities. The veterinary hospital adds a parallel track, addressing animal health in a predominantly agrarian constituency. Fadnavis flagged these as contributions that 'will nurture future talent and contribute to Vidarbha's progress.' Watch for follow-on announcements on further expansion of agricultural and veterinary education infrastructure across other Vidarbha districts.

Vidarbha's development story is being written one institution at a time — and today, Ramtek added two new chapters.