Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav said that Veerangana Rani Durgavati regarded the welfare of her people as her foremost duty. Her reign is remembered for strengthening agriculture, water management and infrastructure. Her administrative acumen transformed thousands of villages of the Gond kingdom into centres of prosperity.
Chief Minister Dr. Yadav said that Rani Durgavati symbolised indomitable courage, unwavering self-respect and strength. She fought 52 battles in her lifetime and won 51. Following her ideals, the state
government is writing a new chapter of welfare and development for Madhya Pradesh’s tribal communities. The Chief Minister was addressing the celebrations marking the 502nd birth anniversary of Veerangana Rani Durgavati and the Tendu Leaf Bonus Distribution Programme at Chhanera village in Harsud, Khandwa district, on Monday.Chief Minister Dr. Yadav inaugurated the programme by lighting the ceremonial lamp and garlanding Rani Durgavati’s portrait. He also performed Gogo Puja through the Panch Kalash ritual and offered traditional prayers to Bada Dev. For the first time in Madhya Pradesh, the present-day descendants of the royal families that ruled the 52 forts of the erstwhile Gondwana Kingdom were honoured at the event. The Chief Minister honoured the members of these royal families by presenting them with traditional safas, swords and mementoes.
Chief Minister Dr. Yadav distributed more than ₹21.34 crore in bonus payments to over 3.54 lakh tendu leaf collectors from Khandwa, Burhanpur, Barwani, Khargone, Dewas and Harda districts. The beneficiaries included 32,846 collectors from Khandwa. He also distributed ₹4.58 crore as timber dividends to more than 26,400 beneficiaries associated with 56 Joint Forest Management Committees under the Khandwa Forest Division. The Chief Minister performed the Bhoomi Poojan of 18 development projects worth around ₹143 crore in Khandwa district. These included various high school buildings and hostels worth around ₹48 crore, a sports complex in Khalwa costing around ₹20 crore, and three community and cultural buildings costing ₹68.57 crore.
Major Announcements by CM Dr. Yadav
Chief Minister Dr. Yadav, responding to demands raised by local public representatives, announced several initiatives for regional development and improved public facilities. He said the state government has set a target of increasing the irrigated area in Madhya Pradesh to more than 10 million hectares within five years. Work on the Karwani Lift Irrigation Project in Harsud will be accelerated. The Chief Minister announced that power supply-related development works in tribal areas would be completed at a cost of ₹25 crore. Chie3f Minister Dr. Yadav also announced that 6 Sandipani Schools will be established in Khalwa tehsil, a new 490-seat girls’ hostel will be constructed in Harsud, roti-maker machines will be installed in all hostels in the area at a cost of ₹34 crore, water coolers will be installed in the hostels, e-Libraries will be established in the hostels, 40 new tribal hostels will be constructed at a cost of around ₹161 crore, an additional ₹143 crore will be provided for development works in Ashram Schools, a high-tech nursery will be established in Khandwa at a cost of more than ₹10 crore and Sports complexes will be developed in Harsud and all other Assembly constituencies of Khandwa district.
Government Committed to Welfare of Tribal Communities
Chief Minister Dr. Yadav said, addressing the tendu leaf collectors, that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Madhya Pradesh government is working with the resolve of ‘Heritage to Development’, bringing greater opportunities to the poorest sections and empowering them to move forward. He said that honouring the descendants of the rulers of 52 forts during Rani Durgavati’s birth anniversary was a moment of great pride. Her life teaches the values of nation-first, self-respect, leadership in difficult circumstances, respect for women’s power, water conservation, and protection of forests and nature.
Chief Minister Dr. Yadav said that the government had increased the remuneration for tendu leaf collectors from ₹750 to ₹4,000 per standard bag and was distributing 75 per cent of net profits as bonus. He said that bonus payments were being distributed to 3,54,126 tendu leaf collectors across six districts. MSP had also been fixed for 32 minor forest produce items to ensure fair returns to forest dwellers. The Chief Minister said the state government is bearing the medical education fees of children from poor families. Scooties and laptops have been distributed to meritorious students. Free books and bicycles are being provided to government school students. He said that more than 85,000 youth have been recruited to government posts. The Chief Minister added that welfare and development works worth ₹1 lakh crore would be undertaken across the state this year.
Sugam Transport to Reach Tribal Areas
Chief Minister Dr. Yadav said the state government has set a target of providing Mukhyamantri Sugam Parivahan Bus Service across villages of the State, and its rollout has already begun. Tribal areas will also benefit from the service. He said the rule of law prevails in the state and that the government has eliminated the Naxal problem from Balaghat and Mandla districts. The Chief Minister said free registration facilities were being provided to rural residents across all gram panchayats. To promote farmers’ prosperity, the government has begun providing 10 hours of electricity during the daytime. Under the Year of Farmer Welfare, the Balram Krishi Mahotsav is being organised to extend the benefits of various schemes to farmers. He said Omkareshwar Dham has been connected with the PM Shri Heli Seva, while poor and needy people are being provided air ambulance services. Under the Rahveer Yojana, those who take injured persons to hospitals are provided an incentive of ₹25,000.
Rani Durgavati’s Legacy Inspires Development: Union Minister
Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Durgadas Uikey said Madhya Pradesh is progressing on the path of development under the leadership of Chief Minister Dr. Yadav. He said that Chief Minister Dr. Yadav had honoured the present-day descendants of the rulers of the 52 forts for the first time, marking an important recognition of this chapter of history. He said that the country has witnessed significant transformation since 2014 and, under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, people have envisioned a Viksit Bharat by 2047. He said the difference in Madhya Pradesh before 2003 and thereafter is clearly visible.
Union Minister Uikey also presented a self-composed song based on the life of Rani Durgavati.
Tribal Youth Being Empowered Through Education: Minister Dr. Vijay Shah
Minister for Tribal Affairs, Public Assets Management and Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation Dr. Kunwar Vijay Shah said the 52 forts of tribal royal dynasties were located not only in Madhya Pradesh but also in other parts of the country. After Independence, these rulers dedicated their kingdoms to the unity of the nation. He said crores of rupees are being provided every year as scholarships for the welfare of tribal students. The state government is spending ₹90 lakh annually on the education of tribal youth aspiring to become doctors. Scooties and laptops have also been distributed to meritorious students. He said the programme featured attractive dance dramas depicting the lives of Rani Durgavati, Raja Shankar Shah and Raghunath Shah, Krantisurya Tantya Mama, and Sant Singaji Maharaj.
About Veerangana Rani Durgavati
Rani Durgavati was born 502 years ago on October 5, 1524, in present-day Mahoba, Uttar Pradesh. She was the ruling queen of the Garha-Mandla kingdom and an embodiment of courage, valour, heroism and self-respect. She fought valiantly against the Mughals to protect the honour of the Gondwana Empire and the nation. Defending the dignity of her motherland until her last breath, she attained martyrdom on June 24, 1564, in present-day Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh.
Descendants of the Rulers of 52 Forts Honoured
The descendants honoured at the programme included Mahendra Pratap Singh Judev (Narmadapuram), Mahendra Shah (Barheta, Narsinghpur), Dr. Hemraj Singh (Jagirdeori, Raisen), Amarjeet Singh (Udaipura, Raisen), Ranjana Singh (Madanpur, Narsinghpur), Damayanti Singh (Diyagarh, Jabalpur), Yashwant Singh Judev (Biloniya, Narsinghpur), Vimlesh Thakur (Damoh), Raja Virendra Shah (Devgarh, Chhindwara), Dr. Yogeshwar Singh (Sihora-Baghelgarh), Garima Singh (Madanpur), Archana Singh Kasde (Umaria), Abhijeet Shah (Harda), Thakur (Gotegaon, Narsinghpur), along with descendants of the ruling families of other forts.
MLAs Narayan Patel, Kanchan Tanve and Chhaya More, Zila Panchayat President Pinky Sudesh Wankhede, Mayor Amrit Amar Yadav, former Mayor Bhavana Shah, Kunwar Divyaditya Shah, Ambaram Karada and other public representatives, along with a large number of tendu leaf collectors, were present at the programme.
