Marathwada Must Fight For Economic Self-Reliance: Ram Bhogale

In a recent gathering to mark Marathwada Mukti Sangram Din, industrialist Ram Bhogale emphasized the need for economic self-reliance in the region. Speaking at a 'UDYAM — Viksit Marathwada' mission organized by CASMB, Bhogale recalled his 1983 meeting with former Union Minister of State Annasaheb Shinde. He believed that while agriculture deserved priority, industry held equal importance, and without the growth of industries, it would have been impossible to feed a growing population.

Bhogale highlighted that government schemes had ample budget allocations, but questioned their implementation, stating that the benefit often did not reach those who needed it most. The mission's goal, according to its Secretary General Dr Umesh Kamble, was to foster entrepreneurship in Marathwada through regular programmes conducted every two months for the next five years.

MSSRF's Dr Soumya Swaminathan spoke about promoting women farmers, nutrition-led agriculture, organic production, and value addition, underlining the importance of rural entrepreneurship among young people.