Madhya Pradesh To Build Rs 100-Crore Saint Ravidas Temple

The Madhya Pradesh government would construct a temple of Sant Ravidas in Sagar district at a cost of Rs 100 crore, it said on Wednesday.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan made the announcement at Ravidas Mahakumbh, an event held to commemorate the 15th century saint-poet, in Sagar district.

The mystic poet and reformer enjoys a nationwide following, especially among a section of the Dalits.

Chief Minister Chouhan also announced that 20 per cent plots in the state's industrial clusters would be reserved for the scheduled castes (SC) and scheduled tribes (ST).

"A temple of Sant Ravidas will be built at Bartuma village near Sagar at a cost of Rs 100 crore. The couplets and teachings of Sant Ravidas will be inscribed on the walls of the temple. His personality and work will also be showcased," Mr Chouhan said.

The government's Mukhyamantri Teerth-Darshan Yojana, a pilgrimage scheme, would also cover Banaras, the saint's birthplace, he said.

Under the Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) policy, a cluster will be earmarked for the organisations of SC industrialists, he said.

Nodal officers will be appointed to guide them, the chief minister added.

Land will also be given to members of SC communities for setting up petrol pumps allotted to them, he said.

Members of SC and ST communities will also receive relaxation in the government's store purchase rule, the chief minister said.

To ensure the safety of sanitary workers, manual cleaning of manholes would be stopped and it would be done only through machines, Mr Chouhan said.

He also performed Bhumi Pujan (ground-breaking) for a water supply scheme for Shahgarh town.

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