Bhopal, Oct 15 — The Madhya Pradesh Cabinet has approved an allocation of nearly Rs 3,000 crore for the establishment of Sandipani schools and the development of government schools, hostels, libraries, residential schools, and other educational institutions, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said.
Additional resources, including contributions from MLAs and MPs, will be pooled to upgrade facilities and improve the quality of education.
The Cabinet has also approved a series of significant decisions aimed at strengthening school transport, expanding irrigation facilities, boosting AYUSH education, and accelerating balanced economic growth across the state.
A scheme worth approximately Rs 241 crore has been cleared to strengthen transport facilities for schools. Responsibility for the operation and maintenance of buses has been entrusted to District Collectors so that arrangements can be tailored to local conditions and regional cost variations.
The objective is to ensure reliable transport access for students in tribal areas as well as those studying in schools serving Other Backward Classes (OBC) and other regions, CM said.
The state has also made remarkable progress in the AYUSH sector. When the present government assumed office, Madhya Pradesh had seven Ayurvedic colleges. Over the past two and a half years, nine new Ayurvedic colleges have been approved and are moving towards becoming operational. Approval has further been granted to continue the National AYUSH Mission with an outlay of approximately Rs 1,698 crore to strengthen AYUSH education, healthcare services and traditional medical practices, the chief minister further said.
On the irrigation front, the Water Resources Department has taken decisions to ensure continuity of ongoing projects. Irrigation facilities in Burhanpur will be improved, while projects in the Udaipura and Bhojpur regions of Raisen district have been approved for continuation over the next five years. A project worth about Rs 750 crore under the Sitamau scheme and a micro-irrigation project of Rs 1,320 crore benefiting the Singrauli region have also been cleared for a five-year extension.
Four new offices of the Department of Women and Child Development are being established in the newly formed districts of Niwari, Mauganj, Pandhurna and Maihar to ensure that scheme benefits reach people more easily and to speed up administrative processes.
The government is simultaneously pushing industrial and economic development. New initiatives have been launched in tourism, engineering and manufacturing. Logistics potential in and around Jabalpur is being harnessed, while food-processing units and warehouses are planned in Narsinghpur and Raisen to help farmers receive better value for their produce.
Bhopal is being positioned as an emerging hub for IT and technology, with a Global Investors Summit scheduled in the capital.
An annual tourism conclave will also be held in Bhopal; more than 120 industry leaders have already expressed interest in investments totalling approximately Rs 375 crore, the Chief Minister said.
Efforts are underway to develop Dewas, Sehore, Ujjain and Indore into metropolitan cities, with a similar vision for Jabalpur following Indore and Bhopal. The overall focus remains on balanced development and accelerated economic activity across the Mahakaushal, Malwa and Madhya Bharat regions through greater investment, industry and employment opportunities.