Ahilyabai Holkar legacy drives big welfare push in Madhya Pradesh
Indore: In a landmark tribute to the visionary legacy of Devi Ahilyabai, the revered queen of the Holkar Dynasty, the Madhya Pradesh Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, held a special meeting at the historic Rajwada Palace in Indore on Tuesday.
The session, commemorating the 300th birth anniversary of Ahilyabai, marked the approval of transformative projects worth Rs 3,876 crore, reflecting the queen’s enduring ideals of inclusive governance, social upliftment, and public welfare.
One of the key announcements was the ‘Lokmata Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Training Programme’, aimed at empowering youth through skill development initiatives. The scheme will provide an annual interest subsidy of Rs 1,000 on loans, with a lifetime cap of Rs 10,000 per beneficiary. Around Rs 100 crore will be allocated annually to support this initiative and link unemployed youth with livelihood opportunities.
The Cabinet approved the Madhya Pradesh Metropolitan Region Planning and Development Act-2025, setting the stage for integrated urban planning in major city clusters such as Indore-Ujjain-Dewas-Dhar and Bhopal-Sehore-Raisen-Vidisha-Biaora.
The Act provides for the formation of Metropolitan Planning Committees and Metropolitan Region Development Authorities to frame and implement region-specific development plans addressing needs in education, industry, healthcare, and infrastructure.
The Chief Minister Urban Sanitation Mission, first launched in 2012, has been extended till 2028-29. An estimated expenditure of Rs 227.05 crore has been sanctioned for the next four fiscal years. The funds will be used for purchasing desludging vehicles, solid waste collection and transport tools, and personal protective equipment (PPE) for sanitation workers.
In a significant step to enhance women’s participation in the workforce, the Cabinet approved the construction of 26 Working Women Hostels across four major industrial regions at Rs 249.66 crore.
A revised administrative sanction of Rs 2,195.54 crore was approved for the Advait Lok Museum project at Omkareshwar. Part of the larger Ekatma Dham initiative, the project will include an Advaita Vedanta International Institute, information centres, and key tourism infrastructure such as the Shankar Setu and Abhay Ghat. The aim is to honour Adi Shankaracharya’s philosophy and attract global spiritual tourism.
The Cabinet also approved an allocation of Rs 1,095 crore to upgrade the healthcare infrastructure of medical colleges and hospitals in Indore and Rewa.
