Panna Credited for Earning Madhya Pradesh the Status of ‘Diamond State’ and ‘Tiger State’: Chief Minister Dr. Yadav

Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav said that Panna, the land of precious stones, needs no introduction. Panna has also brought great pride to Madhya Pradesh. He remarked that today, wherever one looks, Panna is shining. The diamonds emerging from Panna’s sacred land are earning Madhya Pradesh global recognition. Chief Minister Dr. Yadav said that Panna also deserves credit for Madhya Pradesh being known as both the ‘Diamond State’ and the ‘Tiger State’.

Chief Minister Dr. Yadav congratulated the people of Panna district on the Panna Diamond receiving the GI tag, saying that the GI tag has now stamped a global seal on Panna’s identity. The whole world will now recognise these diamonds as ‘Panna Diamond’. He said that ‘Panna Diamond’ is emerging as a brand, which will not only increase recognition in the international market but also create new opportunities for investment in value chains, mining, processing, export, and gem-based industries.

Chief Minister Dr. Yadav said that the district of Panna will soon receive the gift of a medical college. Today, the grand Rajgarh Palace Hotel was also inaugurated between Panna and Chhatarpur. He was addressing a beneficiary conference at the Gram Panchayat Shahnagar in the Pawai assembly constituency of Panna district on Wednesday. Chief Minister Dr. Yadav inaugurated and performed Bhoomi Poojan for 14 development works worth approximately ₹83 crore. These included the inauguration of the upgrade work on the Bisani–Shyamgiri–Kalda–Saleha via Mainha road at a cost of ₹9 crore and the Bhoomi Poojan of 13 development works worth ₹74 crore.

Chief Minister Dr. Yadav performed Bhoomi Poojan for the Tighra barrage in Pawai, costing Rs 4.25 crore. He started the beneficiary conference by lighting a lamp and performing ‘Kanya Poojan’. The program began with the singing of ‘Vande Mataram’. Dr. Yadav also visited development exhibitions organised by various departments at the venue.

Major Announcements by the Chief Minister

Chief Minister Dr. Yadav announced the opening of a new college in Raipura, converting the current Gram Panchayat Shahnagar into a Nagar Parishad and inaugurating two additional health centres in the Shahnagar block. He announced the construction of the Tikaria–Reethi via Khamaria road at an estimated cost of ₹135 crore, the widening of the Shahnagar–Bori–Chamariya road, and the survey-based repair and renovation of old dam canals. Chief Minister Dr. Yadav also stated that law and science faculties will be started in Pawai and Shahnagar colleges. He announced that the closed industries in Shahnagar will be reopened.

Chief Minister Dr. Yadav stated that to give new impetus to Panna’s development, the State Government is developing a Diamond Business Park in Panna with an investment of ₹15 crore. This park will write a new chapter in Panna’s economy. The development of the industrial park on 40 hectares in Badagaon is nearing completion. The long-closed NMDC project has been revived, and large-scale diamond mining has resumed.

Chief Minister Dr. Yadav said that the Ken-Betwa National River Linking Project will give a new shape to the district’s development. It will irrigate 1.35 lakh hectares of land and ensure drinking water supply in more than 600 villages, including Pawai, which will benefit significantly. He said that the Panna Tiger Reserve, world-famous diamonds, rich forest resources, the spectacular Ken River valley, and the state government’s visionary policies together will transform the district’s economy in the coming years. The reserve is developing as a major centre for wildlife tourism. The increasing tiger population, the park’s global reputation, and tourist interest are creating new employment opportunities for local youth in guiding, hotel resorts, transport, and handicrafts. Government efforts to develop homestays, adventure tourism, and improve connectivity are accelerating regional development. The government will leave no stone unturned in Panna’s progress.

Chief Minister Dr. Yadav said that Panna leads the state in women’s empowerment. Over 10,301 self-help groups have received more than Rs 180 crore in bank linkage benefits, empowering over 100,000 women, of whom about 18,000 women have become lakhpati sisters. He said that women in Panna are becoming economically empowered through self-help groups, supported by the monthly assistance of ₹1,500 provided to each daughter. He said about 25 acres of land has been allocated for establishing a medical college in Panna, and an MoU has been signed with the relevant investor. Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, drinking water is being provided in 158 villages through the Pawai dam, rural group water supply scheme.

The event was attended by Dr. Ramkrishna Kusmaria, Chairman of Madhya Pradesh State Backwards Classes Commission; Panna MP Shri V.D. Sharma; former minister and MLA Shri Brijendra Pratap Singh; Pawai MLA Shri Prahlad Singh Lodhi; Shri Pranay Prabhat Pandey, Shri Neelanshu Chaturvedi, Shri Siddharth Tiwari, Shri Sandeep Jaiswal; Panna District Panchayat President Smt. Meena Raje Parmar; Pawai Nagar Parishad President Shri Basant Dahayat, along with many representatives, Ladli Bahanas and villagers.