Marathwada Liberation Struggle Day celebrated with enthusiasm; several development projects announced
Beed, Sept 2026 : On the occasion of Marathwada Liberation Struggle Day, Deputy Chief Minister and Beed district Guardian Minister Sunetra Ajit Pawar hoisted the national flag at a government ceremony in Beed on Wednesday with great enthusiasm. Highlighting the significant contribution of Beed and Ambajogai to the Marathwada liberation movement, she expressed her resolve to transform the historic region and build a “healthy, educated, prosperous and safe Beed”.
Before the government ceremony, Pawar visited the Martyrs’ Memorial and paid floral tributes to those who sacrificed their lives during the liberation struggle. She also met freedom fighters, their family members and families of soldiers who were martyred in service.
MLA Vijaysinh Pandit, Municipal Council President Premlata Parve, Deputy Chief Minister’s Secretary Dr Rajesh Deshmukh, District Collector Vivek Johnson, Chief Executive Officer Jitin Rehman, Superintendent of Police Navneet Kawath and other senior officials were present on the occasion.
Remembering History and Paying Tribute to Martyrs
Addressing the gathering after the flag hoisting, Pawar paid tribute on behalf of the 13 crore people of Maharashtra to the martyrs and freedom fighters of the liberation struggle. She said the movement was not confined to Marathwada and also involved freedom fighters who contributed to the liberation of Telangana and Karnataka.
She also extended greetings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his birthday on behalf of the people of Beed. She noted that the auspicious period of Ganeshotsav and the Mahalakshmi festival was also underway.
India attained independence on August 15, 1947, but Marathwada was liberated from the oppressive rule of the Nizam 13 months and two days later, on September 17, 1948. The people had to wage an armed struggle and make sacrifices to achieve liberation.
Pawar became emotional while recalling that her late father, Bajirao Patil, had personally participated in the movement as a freedom fighter, describing it as a proud legacy for her family.
She said Beed and Ambajogai were important centres of the struggle led by Swami Ramanand Tirth. According to her, the movement was not merely for political freedom but also for education, self-respect and democratic values.
She recalled the contributions of Vitthalrao Katkar, Dr Tarabai Paranjape, Comrade Karuna Chaudhary, Pramila Kulkarni and Pratibha Tai Vaishampayan. She also paid tribute to the courage of Godavaribai Teke, who was martyred fighting the Razakars, and Dagadabai Shelke, who fought disguised as a man.
Pawar remembered 22 martyrs from the district, including Dharur’s Kashinath Bachchalkar and Beed’s Vasant Rakshasbhuvanakar, along with the leadership of Purushottamrao Chapalgaonkar, Rambhau Swami and Kashinathrao Jadhav. She said this history should not merely be remembered but should inspire future generations.
Infrastructure, Cultural and Sports Projects
Pawar outlined several projects aimed at accelerating Beed’s development.
Railway services: She announced that a train to Pune would be flagged off, fulfilling a commitment made by her late husband and former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar during the inauguration of the Beed-Ahilyanagar railway project last year.
Cultural development: The renovation of the Yashwantrao Chavan Theatre and the foundation stone for a modern planetarium aimed at introducing children to science were scheduled to be undertaken.
Pilgrimage and education: Administrative approval has been granted for a revised Rs 301-crore development plan for the Parli Vaijnath Jyotirlinga pilgrimage centre. A veterinary college built over 41 hectares in Parli at a cost of Rs 565 crore was inaugurated last month.
Sports: A fund of Rs 25 crore has been sanctioned for the development of the sports complex. Pawar also announced that the state-level wrestling competition for the Olympic medallist late Khashaba Jadhav Trophy will be held in Beed this year.
Agriculture, Healthcare and Welfare
Pawar reviewed various schemes being implemented for farmers and the general public in the district.
Despite unsatisfactory rainfall due to El Niño, she said necessary inspection measures had been initiated and assured that farmers would not be left without support.
Under the Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Farmers’ Loan Waiver Scheme, Rs 491 crore has been deposited into the accounts of around 67,000 farmers, clearing their land records of the outstanding loan burden.
Under the second phase of the Nanaji Deshmukh Krishi Sanjivani Project, 400 villages have been selected. The Ashti Lift Irrigation Scheme will make 1.68 TMC of water available and bring 8,147 hectares across 26 villages under irrigation.
Employment and Welfare Measures
During 2025-26, around 1.5 crore person-days of employment were generated through nearly 14,765 works in the district. A district planning fund of Rs 623 crore has been made available this year.
Through ‘Maharajस्व Samadhan Camps’, more than 1.40 lakh citizens have received direct benefits.
In healthcare, cataract surgeries achieved 160 per cent of the targeted level. Under ‘Mission Saathi’, health facilities and Ayushman cards are being provided to sugarcane workers. The state’s first ‘Sant Bhagwanbaba Government Children’s Hostel’ for their children was opened last month.
Under the ‘Lek Ladki’ scheme, more than 7,500 beneficiaries have received financial assistance. More than 2.11 lakh Kunbi certificates have been distributed in the district so far, while action on all 554 applications based on the Hyderabad Gazette has been completed.
Pawar called upon the people of Beed to extend their support in building a “healthy, educated, prosperous and safe Beed” and conveyed her greetings on Marathwada Liberation Struggle Day.
