Budget 2026: Gadchiroli gets special road plan, mining highway network

Nagpur: Maharashtra's Budget 2026 proposed a special road development programme and a dedicated mining highway network for Gadchiroli district, as the state govt moves to transform the once Naxal-infested district into a new steel hub of the country. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in his Budget speech on Friday reiterated that large and ultra-large steel industries will attract investment of Rs2.62 lakh crore to the district and create over 70,000 jobs. Fadnavis, who also holds finance portfolio after Ajit Pawar's demise in an air crash, presented the Budget in the legislative assembly on Friday. The Gadchiroli package combined industrial investment, road infrastructure, and environmental commitments in a single district-level push, which is aligned with Fadnavis's vision to transform the district into an industrial powerhouse. The Budget's job creation estimate centered around the steel sector. Gadchiroli, which sits atop significant iron ore reserves in its forest regions, saw interest from major steel players in recent years and the govt has shown its willingness in facilitating ease-of-doing business.To support the steel and mining economy, the Budget proposed a special road development programme for the district alongside a dedicated mining highway network. The two together were designed to address Gadchiroli's chronic infrastructure deficit — a district where interior connectivity historically lagged due to difficult terrain and decades of Left-Wing Extremism. During the speech, Fadnavis did not specify a financial outlay for the road components separately, but those details are expected to be given later.The Budget also confirmed that land acquisition process for a Gadchiroli greenfield airport was underway. The airport, if completed, would give the district its first direct air connectivity and significantly reduce travel time for investors, officials, and residents. No timeline or cost was specified in the Budget documents.Alongside the industrial and infrastructure push, the Budget announced a special mission to plant five crore trees across Gadchiroli for biodiversity conservation. The district is home to dense forest cover, with almost 70% of land formed part of the wildlife corridor connecting central Indian tiger landscapes. The tree plantation commitment was framed as a counterbalance to the industrial expansion proposed in the district.The Gadchiroli package also fit into the Budget's broader aspirational districts programme, which now covered 10 districts including Gadchiroli, with 77 talukas across these districts to receive focused development. The Samruddhi Expressway extension to Bhandara-Gadchiroli was also proposed, which would give the district its first high-speed road link to the rest of Maharashtra.