Gadchiroli Aug. 25 (District Correspondent) President of Janaklyan Pratishthan Suresh Padmashali has demanded that the government prepare a special action plan and provide a fund of 2000 crores for the overall development of Gadchiroli district.
It has been 42 years since the formation of Gadchiroli district, yet the citizens of this district do not have clean drinking water, health facilities, industries, employment, higher education facilities. The district is rich in forest resources but no forest-based industry has been set up. About 4000 crores of Tendu Leaves are collected but not a single bidi factory is set up based on this, thousands of tons of mohua flowers are collected but permission for liquor factory based on this is denied, lakhs of tons of bamboo and timber is available but not a single industry is set up based on this, Padmashali has pointed out.
Gadchiroli district is number one in water resources in entire Maharashtra. It has perennial rivers but the water from these rivers is not used properly for irrigation so it is flowing into Telangana state. However, thousands of acres of crops in Gadchiroli district are being destroyed due to floods in monsoon season. The barrages built at the cost of hundreds of crores have become ineffective and crores of rupees are being spent every year for their maintenance and repair, he has further stated.
Gadchiroli district ranks first in the state in terms of mineral wealth. Licenses were given for iron ore mining but the govt. did not force to set up industries in the same district, so the mining companies are taking the entire iron ore out of the district. If the iron ore goes out like this, the iron ore reserves will be depleted in the next 10 years.
The Naxalite movement that flourished since the creation of Gadchiroli district is on the verge of end due to the tireless work of the police. The police are suffering hardships while dealing with the naxals, but the other departments are enjoying incentive allowance and other benefits without staying at the headquarters. Naxalites killed many innocent tribals but did not get much help.
Even after 42 years of district formation, there is still no electricity for 24 hours in rural and remote areas, no clean drinking water, no health facilities, no doctors, no medicine, no education facility, no teachers. District Planning Council, district administration, Zilla Parishad, MPs, MLAs and People’s Representatives working for the development of the district have failed.
If the Gadchiroli district is to be developed comprehensively, there is a need to prepare a special action plan and approve the funds of Rs. 2000 crores. A committee comprising experts should be appointed to formulate a special action plan and implement it successfully, Padmashali has demanded.
