Government Committed to Bringing Every Marginalized Individual into the Mainstream of Development – Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis

Under the innovative ‘Sanjeevani’ Scheme, a total of 755 e-rickshaws distributed to persons with disabilities in two phases in Nagpur district

Nagpur, Oct 2025: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that the state government is committed to ensuring the inclusion of every deprived and marginalized individual in the stream of development. “Inspired by Bharat Ratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s vision of social justice and equality, our government continues to put his ideals into action by empowering every section of society through effective schemes and direct benefit initiatives,” the Chief Minister stated.

He was speaking at a function organized by the Department of Social Justice at the premises of the late Ishwar Deshmukh College of Physical Education. The event marked the distribution of e-rickshaws and other self-employment benefits to differently-abled individuals under the Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana.

The ceremony was attended by Revenue Minister and Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Housing and OBC Welfare Minister Atul Save, Minister of State for Finance Adv. Ashish Jaiswal, MP Shyamkumar Barve, MLAs Kripal Tumane, Parinay Phuke, Dr. Ashish Deshmukh, Mohan Mate, Charansingh Thakur, Sanjay Meshram, Chairman of the State Safai Kamgar Commission Shersingh Dagor, Principal Secretary of the Social Justice Department Dr. Harshdeep Kamble, Municipal Commissioner Abhijit Chaudhary, District Collector Dr. Vipin Itankar, CEO of Zilla Parishad Vinayak Mahamuni, and Assistant Commissioner Sukeshini Telgote.

Chief Minister Fadnavis said the government is actively working to promote self-employment opportunities for the underprivileged through multiple welfare programs. Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, initiatives to economically empower women have seen major success. “We have enabled 25 lakh women in Maharashtra to become ‘Lakhpati Didis,’ and today nearly 50 lakh women have achieved that milestone. Soon, we aim to reach one crore women entrepreneurs,” he said.

Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule received special appreciation from the Chief Minister for his efforts in reaching out to marginalized communities like the Mang-Garudi through special camps across villages. These efforts have ensured delivery of benefits such as Ramaai Housing Scheme and identity documentation to rightful beneficiaries.

Minister of State for Finance Adv. Ashish Jaiswal proposed an innovative plan to provide solar energy to every tribal household. He said the initiative will soon be expanded to benefit Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes as well.

Guardian Minister Bawankule also announced that ₹1 lakh per women’s self-help group will soon be provided to 1,000 SHGs in the district to help them expand their businesses. Nearly ₹20 crore from the PM Khanij Kalyan Yojana has been allocated to drive social justice and bring deprived communities into the mainstream.

Under the Chief Minister’s direction, Zilla Parishad has begun upgrading Anganwadi centers, setting up a district war room to connect all primary health centers with headquarters, ensuring more efficient healthcare delivery.

Minister Ashish Jaiswal also announced a dedicated fund for disability welfare, stating that each district will earmark a portion of its annual plan for this purpose.

During the event, a short film on the Ramaai Housing Scheme and a coffee table book titled “Swapna te Satya” (From Dream to Reality) were released. The Adventure Park of Waregaon School, Kamthi, was inaugurated virtually. Land ownership documents were distributed to 23 beneficiaries under the Karmaveer Dadasaheb Gaikwad Self-Respect and Empowerment Scheme, covering 49 acres in total.

Additionally, 6,334 bicycles were distributed to ASHA workers and Anganwadi employees, while 755 e-rickshaws were distributed to persons with disabilities in two phases—200 in the first phase and 555 in the second phase, to promote self-reliance and mobility among Divyang citizens.

The event began with an introduction by Assistant Commissioner Sukeshini Telgote of the Department of Social Justice.