The Khurai area of Madhya Pradesh’s Bundelkhand region is being developed as a model of development to remove the tag of backwardness from the area.

Bundelkhand’s residents are known to migrate to other areas in search of livelihood as there are few employment opportunities there. Bundelkhand and Gwalior-Chambal areas face drought regularly.

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However, the Khurai area of Sagar district is being made a model of development by providing agricultural, educational and infrastructural facilities to its people.

Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan recently laid the foundation stone for the Bina irrigation project worth Rs 4,000 crore. The command area of the project will be 90,000 hectares and it will irrigate the Bina, Khurai, Malthone, Sagar, Chhatarpur and Tikamgarh areas of Bundelkhand.

This irrigation project will have four major dams and a network of canals in Sagar, Chhatarpur and Tikamgarh districts. The hope is that the project will help to prevent migration due to drought.

An agriculture college costing Rs 131 crore has been opened by the state government in Khurai and its first educational session has started. A farm science centre will also be established soon in Khurai town to promote scientific farming methods.

Madhya Pradesh minister for Home and Transport and MLA from Khurai area, Bhupendra Singh, is leaving no stone unturned to ensure all-round development of his Assembly constituency.

“Systematic development is being done in the field of agriculture to promote farming scientifically in the area. It is my effort that the farmers of the Khurai area as well as Bundelkhand region can raise their living standards by farming. Major irrigation projects, agriculture college, establishment of agriculture industrial cluster, farm science centre will pave the way for farmers’ development in the area,” Bhupendra Singh said.

Khurai is famous for manufacturing agricultural equipment. It is being made an agricultural industrial cluster. The area has three towns, Khurai, Malthone and Bandari.

Two new government colleges having science, arts and commerce streams have been opened in Malthone and Bandari. Free coaching institutions for preparing for competitive and academic examinations are also being run for needy aspirants. Free bus service is being run for government school students.

“Education is an important tool to change society positively. We have made all efforts in the last four years to provide it to the every needy student in the area,” Singh said.

A modern 100-bed hospital, round-the-clock mobile medical vehicle, a national level auditorium, badminton court and gym have been set up in the area by the state government. CCTV cameras have been fitted at all important places in Khurai town. A beautiful park has also been developed in Khurai where hundreds of people walk every day.

“We have left no stone unturned to develop Khurai’s infrastructure. A network of roads has been laid down in the area. We are trying to provide employment for every youth of our area,” Singh added.

Apart from national and state highways which passing through Khurai, inter-village approach roads worth Rs 129 crore have also been built in the last four years, he said. Singh claimed Khurai is one of the constituencies in Madhya Pradesh where most development work has been done. Arrangements have been made for availability of electricity round the clock for domestic and industrial use, he said.

To preserve the culture of Bundelkhand and to boost literary activities in the area, an annual national level ‘Dohla Utsav’ is being celebrated since the last four years at Dohla fort where Kumar Sanu, Alka Yagnik, Udit Narayan, etc., have performed.