Gadchiroli’s tribal infrastructure programme received a fresh push on Sunday, with facilities inaugurated and foundation stones laid for projects at 22 ashram schools and hostels across Maharashtra during the Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas programme in the district. Governor Jishnu Dev Varma used the event to call for development that protects tribal identity, traditions and cultural heritage while extending equal opportunities to remote communities.
Addressing a gathering at the district sports complex in Gadchiroli, Varma said tribal development needed to combine social progress with the preservation of local culture. He described tribal icon Birsa Munda as a symbol of social awakening and resistance to injustice, and said development benefits should reach the last person and the last village.
The governor said universities were running a school-connect programme to encourage tribal students to pursue higher education. He also said the government had decided to prioritise the preservation of folk arts that were gradually disappearing. The remarks placed education access and cultural preservation alongside physical infrastructure as central parts of the state’s tribal development agenda.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined the programme virtually and inaugurated facilities and laid foundation stones for infrastructure projects at 22 ashram schools and hostels across Maharashtra. The report did not specify the individual project locations, construction costs, facility types or completion timelines.
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said Gadchiroli had the potential to move beyond its longstanding image as Maharashtra’s last district and become a leading centre of development and the country’s next steel city. He said the state would pursue sustainable development while protecting the district’s water, land and forests, and give Gadchiroli a larger role in the economies of Maharashtra and India.
Deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde also described an industrial transformation under way in the district. Recalling that Gadchiroli had once been described as a terror hub, he said it was now being developed as the country’s biggest steel hub, with the potential to generate employment for thousands and possibly lakhs of people. He said Maharashtra’s development would remain incomplete without Gadchiroli’s progress.
The programme was the culmination of multi-day Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas celebrations, which included a padayatra and dance dramas on Rani Durgavati and Birsa Munda. Union tribal affairs minister Jual Oram praised the cultural events, while state tribal development minister Ashok Uike credited the institution of Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas on November 15 with creating a dedicated occasion to recognise tribal history and contributions.
The event brought together education infrastructure, industrial development and cultural preservation in the state’s public narrative for Gadchiroli. Officials presented dignitaries with a replica of Birsa Munda crafted by tribal artisans from Chichpalli in neighbouring Chandrapur district. Further details on the 22 school and hostel projects, including their budgets and implementation schedules, were not provided in the announcement.
