What Initiatives Is the Maha Govt Launching with the Adi Shakti Campaign for Women Empowerment?

Ahilyanagar, May 6 (NationPress) In a significant meeting of the Maharashtra Cabinet led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, various impactful initiatives were announced during the Tricentennial Anniversary Year of Ahilyabai Holkar, the renowned 18th-century warrior queen.

The meeting, held at Choundi, the birthplace of Ahilyabai Holkar, revealed plans to launch the Adi Shakti campaign aimed at empowering women. Additionally, the Cabinet approved the production of a multilingual commercial film highlighting her life, leadership, and the battles she fought. Plans also include constructing hostels for Dhangar community students pursuing post-matriculation education, special projects to revitalize water distribution systems established by Ahilyabai Holkar, and the reconstruction of temples throughout the state.

The Chief Minister informed the press that the Adi Shakti campaign will include awards to raise awareness about various challenges faced by women, such as financial, social, academic, and health-related issues.

This campaign, to be rolled out through the women and child welfare department, seeks to combat malnutrition, reduce infant mortality, and lower maternal deaths. It will promote girls' education by addressing gender inequality, foster a society free from child marriage, and encourage violence-free family and community environments while facilitating women's development through access to government schemes and self-employment opportunities.

To incentivize successful implementation, the government will distribute awards to gram panchayats. The budget allocated for the statewide execution of the Adi Shakti campaign is ₹10.50 crore.

Furthermore, a scheme named after Raje Yashwantrao Holkar will be introduced to provide education to 10,000 students from the Dhangar community in esteemed schools annually under the Yashwant Students Scheme, with an allocation of ₹288.92 crore.

Between 1797 and 1811, Raje Yashwantrao Holkar championed educational reforms, including the gurukul scheme and military education, ensuring inclusive access to education, particularly for girls.

The Chief Minister mentioned that the Cabinet also approved the establishment of hostels at revenue division headquarters for Dhangar community students pursuing post-matriculation education. This initiative will be known as the Ahilyabai Holkar Hostel Scheme, with each hostel accommodating 200 students, split evenly between boys and girls.

Hostels will be constructed in Navi Mumbai, Pune, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nashik, Nagpur, and Amravati, with ongoing work in Nashik and upcoming developments in Pune and Nagpur.

Additionally, to enhance and protect the water systems established by Ahilyabai Holkar, the government will invest ₹75 crore in a plan aimed at restoring three historical lakes in Chandwad, Trimbakeshwar, Malhar Gautameshwar, and Jejuri, along with 19 wells, six troughs, six ghats, and 34 reservoirs. The initiative includes repairing reservoirs, removing sludge, revitalizing water sources, and beautifying these sites.

The Cabinet also sanctioned the establishment of a government medical college and a 430-bed hospital in Ahilyanagar, with an investment of ₹486.08 crore, named after Ahilyabai Holkar. The government will allocate land for the district civil hospital and the necessary workforce.

To support temple restoration efforts associated with Ahilyabai Holkar, the Cabinet has authorized the conservation and restoration of six temples and a memorial dedicated to the 18th-century warrior queen, with a budget of ₹5503.69 crore.

Moreover, the Cabinet approved the creation of an industrial training institute for girls and women in Ahilyanagar and the establishment of a civil court in Rahuri.

The Cabinet also extended the duration of the Mission Managram, implemented through the Village Social Transformation Foundation (VSTF), until 2028 from its initial 2022-2025 timeline.