The Devendra Fadnavis government in Maharashtra has prioritized the development of five major Jyotirlinga sites in the state to promote religious tourism and provide better facilities to devotees.
Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has taken a significant administrative step to ensure the comprehensive and planned development of the state's five major Jyotirlinga pilgrimage sites. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the government has, for the first time, entrusted the monitoring of these projects by appointing senior IAS officers. These officers will be responsible for regularly reviewing the progress of these development plans and reporting directly to the Chief Minister.
Which officer has been assigned which project?
The Maharashtra government has appointed a senior IAS officer for each Jyotirlinga site:
- Bhimashankar (Pune): V. Radha, Additional Chief Secretary, General Administration Department
- Ghrishneshwar (Chh. Sambhajinagar): B. Venugopal Reddy, Additional Chief Secretary, Higher and Technical Education Department
- Trimbakeshwar (Nashik): Saurabh Vijay, Principal Secretary, Finance Department
- Aundha Nagnath (Hingoli): Richa Bagla, Principal Secretary, Finance Department
- Parli Vaijnath (Beed): Appasaheb Dhulaj, Secretary, Other Backward Bahujan Welfare Department
How much will be spent on development plans?
The state government has approved a budget of hundreds of crores of rupees for the comprehensive development of these religious sites:
- Bhimashankar: 11 development works at a cost of ₹148.37 crore
- Ghrishneshwar: Consolidated plan of ₹156.63 crore
- Trimbakeshwar: 275 development works at ₹15.21 crore
- Parli Vaijnath: 92 schemes at ₹286.68 crore
- Aundha Nagnath: (Details awaited)
These projects include infrastructure, darshan (prayer) facilities, pilgrim amenities, roads, toilets, water systems, digital monitoring systems, and the development of green spaces.
Government's Intention: To Promote Religious Tourism
According to the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), this initiative is not only aimed at providing better facilities to devotees but will also promote religious tourism, which will contribute to the local economy and employment generation. The government's priority is to implement the projects in a timely manner while maintaining quality. Senior officers will report directly to the Chief Minister – Chief Minister's Office.
The government has already approved the implementation of these projects in high-level committee meetings to ensure coordination and transparency, and government resolutions (GRs) have also been issued to the concerned departments. In addition, each officer will ensure progress by staying in contact with the local administration, the temple trust, and the relevant departments.
