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By:

Anusreeta Dutta

26 April 2026 at 1:22:24 pm

One Maharashtra, Unequal Priorities

Six decades after statehood, constitutional safeguards remain necessary to bridge the gap between western Maharashtra and the regions left behind. Maharashtra is often referred to as India’s economic engine. The state, which is home to Mumbai’s financial ecosystem and Pune’s industrial corridor, contributes about 14 percent to the GDP of India. There is a long-standing dispute behind this achievement that has affected state politics for decades. Is every district in Maharashtra thriving at...

One Maharashtra, Unequal Priorities

Six decades after statehood, constitutional safeguards remain necessary to bridge the gap between western Maharashtra and the regions left behind. Maharashtra is often referred to as India’s economic engine. The state, which is home to Mumbai’s financial ecosystem and Pune’s industrial corridor, contributes about 14 percent to the GDP of India. There is a long-standing dispute behind this achievement that has affected state politics for decades. Is every district in Maharashtra thriving at the same pace? It is not just a political question. It is written into the Constitution proper. Unlike most states in India, Maharashtra has a unique constitutional provision under Article 371(2) which empowers the Governor to ensure that development funding and opportunities are equally shared between Vidarbha, Marathwada and the rest of Maharashtra. The clause was born out of fears that some areas would be forgotten once the state was established in 1960. Six decades later, the existence of this constitutional safeguard raises an uncomfortable question: why does Maharashtra need tools to balance regional development still? Regional Disparity The seeds of regional disparity were sown long before the birth of Maharashtra. Western Maharashtra had early investments in irrigation, cooperative sugar mills, educational institutions and transportation. The centres of industrial growth followed by agricultural commercialisation were Pune, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur and part of Nashik. Vidarbha and Marathwada chose the other. Agriculture was still heavily dependent on monsoon rains, industrialization was slow and irrigation coverage was less than the state averages. Regional studies in Maharashtra have repeatedly shown that irrigation intensity and agricultural yield are higher in western districts than in much of eastern Maharashtra. These differences subsequently led to calls for institutional safeguards. In contrast, in western Maharashtra, government moves are increasingly geared towards growth, not deficit reduction. The region’s success is built on industrial corridors, logistics infrastructure, urban mobility projects and advanced manufacturing clusters. Pune has emerged as a hub for vehicles, computer technology, defence production and startups. Mumbai remains a major draw for investment in metro rail networks, coastal roadways, financial services infrastructure and international business zones. Agricultural practices in western Maharashtra are in a relatively advanced stage of development. Irrigation coverage is much better than many districts in the east, so the authorities can concentrate on raising productivity, export-oriented, value-added farming and agro-processing industries. Western Maharashtra’s policy, in a nutshell, is to make competitive regions more competitive. Eastern Maharashtra is very different. Here, the Governments have not only focused on accelerating growth but also on reducing the backlog of development. The main policy question is irrigation. For many decades official studies have consistently identified irrigation as the most important factor for regional disparities. Even with dedicated funds, the backlog of irrigation in Vidarbha and Marathwada kept growing, requiring repeated interventions by successive governments. To tackle this, region-specific irrigation corporations, such as Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) and Godavari Marathwada Irrigation Development Corporation (GMIDC) were established with a specific mandate to speed up water infrastructure projects. The Union Government has sanctioned a special irrigation package for Vidarbha, Marathwada and draught prone areas of Maharashtra, with an objective to increase irrigation potential and improve water security of the farmers. Even today, a lot of public money is spent on irrigation projects in eastern Maharashtra. Government affidavits and parliamentary replies say crores of rupees are spent every year to make up for irrigation shortfalls and to finish long-pending projects. This emphasis reflects an important reality: while the western part of Maharashtra talks about competitiveness, the eastern part of Maharashtra continues to debate water access. Another area where there are divergent approaches is industrial policy. Market forces have played a major role in the industrial expansion of western Maharashtra, a process assisted by the existing infrastructure and urbanization. In contrast, Eastern Maharashtra has frequently depended on state-led interventions to draw investment to lagging regions. Projects such as the Multi-modal International Cargo Hub and Airport at Nagpur (MIHAN), logistics corridors, special industrial incentives and infrastructure subsidies were to divert industrial expansion away from the Mumbai-Pune region. Likewise, recent government announcements have earmarked Vidarbha to become a future hub for solar energy, semiconductors, aerospace manufacturing and logistics, with Marathwada being pitched for electric vehicle and electronics investments. Whereas in western Maharashtra, the policy tends to buttress pre-existing advantages, in eastern Maharashtra the industrial policy aims to generate such advantages from the beginning. Regional Equilibrium These divisions have persisted, leading to separate institutions of governance. Vidarbha and Marathwada have statutory development boards to monitor regional imbalances and recommend corrective actions. Their emergence is an indication of a broader acceptance that market forces alone have not been adequate to promote balanced growth in Maharashtra. The second capital of Maharashtra is also Nagpur. The same ideology. The state legislature meets every winter in eastern Maharashtra to ensure that the issues concerning the region remain in the political focus. The issues discussed generally are irrigation, agriculture, tribal welfare and regional development in these sessions. The controversy over regional equity, however, is still unresolved. According to critics, despite decades of special packages and focused strategies, many irrigation projects continue to face delays, cost overruns and implementation problems. Several big projects in Vidarbha remain incomplete despite years of cash pledges. There is now a growing body of policy thinking that suggests that Maharashtra may have to give up the very terminology of backlog elimination. In its own discussion on balanced regional development, the state attaches more importance to reforms in governance, diversification of the economy and speeding up growth, than to compensatory spending. The challenge is not just building canals and roadways anymore but building lasting economic ecosystems that can hold on to talent, draw investment and create jobs beyond the traditional Mumbai-Pune boom corridor. The real test for Maharashtra will be whether future policies can turn Vidarbha and Marathwada from regions requiring special support to regions capable of driving growth on their own. Till then Maharashtra’s development story will be two stories. (The author is a columnist and climate researcher with experience in political research analysis and energy policy. Views personal.)

Tourists cancelling bookings for Kashmir post-terror attack

  • PTI
  • Apr 23, 2025
  • 3 min read
BJP leader Ashish Shelar pays his respects to the mortal remains of Sanjay Lele and Dilip Desale at Mumbai airport.
BJP leader Ashish Shelar pays his respects to the mortal remains of Sanjay Lele and Dilip Desale at Mumbai airport.

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: In the aftermath of the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, natives of Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city who were planning to visit the Union Territory in summer vacation are now cancelling their trips, tour operators said on Wednesday.


The terror attack in Pahalgam town has led to cancellations of multiple group bookings for Kashmir in remaining days of April and next month from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in central Maharashtra, they said.


Some travellers are postponing their trips to Kashmir, one of the most sought after holiday destinations in summer months, said the tour operators.


Terrorists struck a prime tourist location in Pahalgam in south Kashmir on Tuesday afternoon, killing at least 26 people, mostly travellers from other states.


Tour operator Sarang Takalkar told PTI, "I had two groups of a total 18 people who were supposed to go to Pahalgam, Sonmarg, Gulmarg and Srinagar for almost a week. They were going to leave for their tour from next week and mid-May. But they have cancelled their bookings."


Another operator Jaswant Singh said, "We have advised people to cancel their trips. People are also cancelling their trips on their own. A group of nearly 30 people was supposed to go to the Kashmir Valley in the beginning of May. But the trip is cancelled now."


Jayant Gore, a tour operator from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, has come out with an extension policy for his customers who were scheduled to visit the Union Territory, but are now evaluating their plans in the wake of the terror attack.


"We have devised an extension policy. People who were supposed to go to Kashmir towards April-end or May have been given this facility. They can postpone their dates or they can go to any other area of the country for the amount they have paid (for Kashmir trip).


"People are calling us and cancelling their trips (to J&K). We have called a group of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar residents back from Mumbai who were supposed to fly to Srinagar today (Wednesday)," Gore informed.


Same story in Gujarat

Ahmedabad: As tourists from Gujarat rushed to cancel their planned Kashmir trips in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, operators in the state on Wednesday said they were ensuring that the tourists get full refunds.


Airlines are being requested to offer free cancellation of tickets for Srinagar till June 30 instead of April 30 as already offered by them, said the Tour Operators and Travel Agents Association of Gujarat.


Kashmir has emerged as among the most favourite domestic destinations for tourists from Gujarat, with around five lakh tourists visiting it in 2024. It had looked like the number will be surpassed in 2025 but Tuesday's attack changed the situation, said Ajay Modi of Ahmedabad-based Ajay Modi Travels.


There were three Gujarat-origin persons in the 26 persons killed in the attack in Pahalgam.


Rush at agents

People are rushing to cancel their planned trips to Kashmir and tour operators are talking to airlines to get them a full refund for cancellations till June 30, said Modi.


"We are letting all those who want to cancel Kashmir tour packages to do so without collecting cancellation charges. We are also allowing them to opt for other destinations, if they wish so, without any hassle," he added.


"We are making efforts to ensure that tourists do not suffer any financial loss due to the cancellation of airline tickets. Airlines have already offered a waiver till April 30, but we have demanded they extend the concession till June 30," Modi added.


People have booked tour packages for Kashmir till June 15, he said. "Customers are not likely to visit Jammu and Kashmir any time soon, as they are assessing the situation unfolding there," he added.


The Association said in a statement that there was an atmosphere of fear, and it was natural that people would not press ahead with a trip to Kashmir under the current circumstances.


The association requests airlines to waive cancellation charges for tickets booked till June 30, it added.


Credit note

Tour operators have been requested to make arrangements so that the tourists who have paid in advance for hotels and vehicles get a credit note of that amount (to be used in future), it said.

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