Thackeray said, “We need a visionary for the state and in Rohit Pawar, we have found one. The donation drive for Karjat-Jamkhed is a good initiative as it will help his constituency from all sectors.”
Tourism should be the key investment point in every state, said state Tourism and Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray during the launch of Karjat-Jamkhed Integrated Development Foundation on Saturday.
“I have travelled extensively across India and around the world and have seen many beautiful temples, forts and safaris. All such tourist spots exist in Maharashtra but, unfortunately, they remain unexplored. Development of tourism in the state is the need of the hour and I think the development of Karjat-Jamkhed will serve as an example,” he said.
Karjat-Jamkhed Integrated Development Foundation, the brainchild of MLA Rohit Pawar, aims at the development of several sectors, including tourism, education, health, water conservation and women’s empowerment, through shared efforts of the government, public and private entities. Speaking at the event, Pawar said, “There are 28 tourist spots and 35 temples in Karjat-Jamkhed, which we have to develop with the aid of government and public enterprises. Some leaders build walls to hide poverty in their states but we don’t want to do that. We want to utilise our resources and make our state the best place to live.”
Thackeray said, “We need a visionary for the state and in Rohit Pawar, we have found one. The donation drive for Karjat-Jamkhed is a good initiative as it will help his constituency from all sectors.”
The event launched the foundation’s official brand logo, soundtrack and website, where donations from people and corporations will address aspects of water conservation, education, healthcare and women’s empowerment in the constituency. The foundation’s local office, Srujan House, is located at Bhosale Nagar, Hadapsar.
A website extensively focusing on tourism of the region was also launched, along with the teaser of the web series with six episodes on 22 tourist locations.
For the development of Karjat-Jamkhed constituency, a memorandum of understanding was inked with IIT Bombay and Tata Institute of Social Sciences.
Minister of State Aditi Tatkare said the model was a “vision for development”. “Everybody has a different vision and working style. The vision of Rohit Pawar will not only develop the region but also improve people’s lives,” she added.
“Film directors often go to locations such as Switzerland and Kashmir but there are even better shooting locations in the state. There are 500 to 700-year-old forts, wells and natural beauty that can very well be film sets. There is an extensive use of oil paint on the walls of temples and forts, and I urge the government to put a ban on their use. Instead, they should retain the natural form of the structures. If these places are preserved, then Maharashtra can become as beautiful as Switzerland and Kashmir,” said director Nagraj Manjule.