10 smart villages to be developed in every taluka of Maharashtra: Fadnavis

Nagpur, Aug 24 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday announced that 10 smart villages will be developed in every taluka of the state, equipped with advanced technology-based services in agriculture, health, education and other essential sectors.

Fadnavis was speaking at the launch of the country's first smart and intelligent village, Satanwari, in Nagpur district.

"Soon, 10 villages in every taluka of Maharashtra will be developed as 'smart' and 'intelligent'. In the first phase, nearly 3,500 villages will be transformed," he said.

The initiative has been implemented with the cooperation of the state government and Nagpur district administration in collaboration with Voice of Indian Communication Technology Enterprises (VOICE) and 24 Indian companies, stated a release from the Chief Minister's Office.

Through this initiative, Satanwari has become India's first Smart and Intelligent Village, equipped with modern technology-based services, it said.

Fadnavis said that the initiative is a revolutionary step to provide all essential facilities to villagers through technology.

Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision, the BharatNet project was successfully implemented in villages across the country, and in Maharashtra, the MahaNet project followed, he said.

Now, with the help of Indian tech companies, villages will get access to 18 services, including telemedicine, smart education with AI, smart irrigation, drone-based pesticide and fertiliser spraying, banking services on wheels, and digital surveillance, Fadnavis said.

Farmers in Satanwari use drones and sensors for soil testing, spraying, and fertiliser management. Drinking water quality has improved, and health facilities are accessible through telemedicine.

"Satanwari will soon become a model village for the entire country," Fadnavis said, expressing hope that it would soon be recognised as one of India's most progressive villages.

Speaking on the occasion, State Revenue Minister and Nagpur Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said that following PM Modi's initiatives like smart cities and Digital India, Fadnavis has taken the ambitious decision to create smart and intelligent villages in Maharashtra.

He added that Rs 1,200 crore has already been sanctioned for development works in Nagpur district.

Earlier, VOICE CEO Rakesh Kumar Bhatnagar made a presentation on the facilities introduced in Satanwari.

The chief minister also performed bhoomipoojan for 40 anganwadis virtually and inaugurated solar panels installed at primary health sub-centres under the 15th Finance Commission.

Certificates were presented to representatives of the partner companies that helped create the smart village. PTI CLS ARU