Bhopal, Dec 9 (UNI) In a major initiative to expand the cheetah habitats in Madhya Pradesh, the BJP-ruled state government has accorded in‑principle approval to develop Virangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve, at Nauradehi in the Sagar district of the state, as the third cheetah habitat in Madhya Pradesh.
The approval was granted by the state cabinet at its meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, and held specially at Khajuraho on Tuesday.
The state’s first cheetah habitat was started at Kuno National Park, Sheopur, in September 2022, and the second at Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary, Mandsaur, in April 2025.
The state currently has 31 cheetahs, including 28 at Kuno and 3 at Gandhi Sagar. The state houses the entire population of cheetahs in India.
Eight cheetahs from Botswana are also expected to arrive at Kuno in January 2026.
To accelerate industrial development in the backward Bundelkhand region, the cabinet also approved a special industrial incentive package for the ‘Maswasi Grant’ industrial area in Sagar, where the land allotment and annual land lease rate have been fixed at just Rs 1 per square meter.
The special package is expected to create an investor‑friendly environment, paving the way for investments worth Rs 24,240 crore, and directly generating employment for over 29,000 people.
The state cabinet also took several other important decisions. These include expansion of irrigation facilities, construction of road infrastructure, approval of new posts for medical colleges in Chhatarpur and Damoh, along with upgrading government health institutions and the creation of additional posts.
To encourage investors, 100 per cent reimbursement of stamp duty and registration fees has been approved, while industrial units will also be exempt from electricity duty for five years from the date of commencement of commercial production.
Large industrial units will be governed by the provisions of the Industrial Promotion Policy 2025 and Investment Promotion Scheme 2025, while MSME units will be covered under the MSME Development Policy 2025 and the MSME Incentive Scheme 2025.
Cement manufacturing units will not be eligible for this special package, which will remain in force for the next five years.
The Cabinet approved an administrative sanction of Rs 2,059.85 crore for the upgradation and construction of the 76.680 km Sagar-Damoh road as a four-lane carriageway with paved shoulders under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM).
The Cabinet approved 990 regular and 615 outsourced posts for operating the new government medical colleges at Damoh, Chhatarpur, and Budhni. For each of the three medical colleges, 330 regular posts will be created, and 205 personnel will be engaged on an outsourcing basis.
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