A 400-metre synthetic athletics track, 34 air-conditioned electric buses, and a 100 kW solar power project — Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis landed in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on Sunday, November 1, 2026, and inaugurated a sweeping multi-sector infrastructure package designed to lift one of the state's most strategically significant tier-2 cities.

The centrepiece of the day was the upgraded Divisional Sports Complex, which now features a new football ground, a 10,000-seater stadium fitted with 88 floodlights, and the new synthetic athletics track — facilities that could meaningfully raise the ceiling for competitive sport in the Marathwada region. A ₹4 crore youth hostel with 16 rooms and modern amenities was also inaugurated at the complex, giving visiting athletes a place to train and stay.

34 Electric Buses and Two EV Stations Hit the Road

The mobility upgrade was equally bold. Fadnavis flagged off 34 AC electric buses equipped with GPS tracking, digital ticketing, advanced braking systems, and fast-charging facilities — a direct push under Maharashtra's 2021 EV Policy to green the state's public transport arteries. Two new EV charging stations were simultaneously launched at Connaught Garden and near Baba Petrol Pump, anchoring the charging network in high-footfall urban nodes.

Alongside the buses, a 100 kW solar power project was dedicated at Siddharth Garden, weaving clean energy directly into public urban space. Together, the electric fleet and solar installation signal the state's intent to make Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar a model for sustainable urban mobility in central Maharashtra.

A CSR School and the Smart City Thread Running Through It All

Education was not left out. A new school building at Devgiri Valley, Mitmita — developed through a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative — was inaugurated, expanding learning infrastructure in a locality that has historically lacked it. The project is a small but tangible example of how the state is leveraging private-sector funding to fill public-infrastructure gaps.

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, renamed from Aurangabad in 2023, was selected under the national Smart Cities Mission in 2015, giving the city a decade-long framework for integrated urban upgrades. Sunday's inaugurations are the latest chapter in that journey — but the scale and variety of what Fadnavis launched in a single visit underscores how the state government is now packaging sports, mobility, renewable energy, and education together rather than rolling them out piecemeal.

Senior political figures from across the ruling alliance were present: Minister Atul Save, Minister Sanjay Shirsat, MP Sandipan Bhumare, MLC Suhas Shirsath, MLA Narayan Kuche, MLA Anuradhatai Chavan, and Mayor Sameer Rajurkar — a show of force that reflects the political weight Sambhajinagar now carries in Maharashtra's development narrative.

Whether the electric bus fleet performs as promised on Sambhajinagar's roads — and whether the stadium fills those 10,000 seats — will be the real test of whether this inauguration day delivers lasting change or a well-lit photo opportunity.