India
Maharashtra Cabinet Clears ₹2,975 Crore ADB Loan for PRAGATI Healthcare Project, Approves New Sports Reservation Policy
By Snehal Mutha
The Maharashtra Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, approved on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, the implementation of the PRAGATI project—Primary Healthcare Reimagined with Advanced Governance and Accessible Technology Integration—to be carried out between 2026 and 2031.
The Cabinet cleared a proposal from the State Public Health Department to secure a loan from the Asian Development Bank to fund the project, along with provisions for the State Government's matching contribution. According to the Chief Minister's Office, the total project cost is estimated at ₹4,250 crore, with ₹2,975 crore to be borrowed from the Asian Development Bank and the remaining ₹1,275 crore allocated in phases through the state budget as the government's share.
Under the project, new district hospitals will be established, including 500-bed facilities in Kolhapur and Nanded, 300-bed hospitals in Nagpur and Latur, and a 200-bed specialty referral hospital in Pune district. These new facilities are expected to generate approximately 2,430 jobs, with an estimated annual salary expenditure of ₹147.7 crore.
The Pragati Health Reform Project aims to integrate primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare services across the state. Its objectives include ensuring timely and accurate diagnosis, standardized treatment protocols, an effective referral system, continuity of patient care, digital governance, and overall improvement in health system efficiency. The Public Health Department stated that the initiative is expected to lower healthcare costs for citizens and support the broader goal of universal health coverage.
The project aligns with several frameworks, including the Sustainable Development Goals, Universal Health Coverage objectives, the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, the National Health Policy, and the World Health Organization's Health System Framework. To implement the project, several administrative units will be set up under the Commissioner of Health Services, including a State Project Management Cell, a Project Implementation Cell, a Procurement Process Management and Implementation Cell, a Digital Health Implementation Cell, and a Technical Project Implementation Cell.
In a separate decision on the same day, the State Cabinet approved a revised policy aimed at standardizing the 5% employment reservation for sportspersons across government, semi-government, and other sectors. Under the new policy, eligible athletes' sports certificates will be verified within three months of issuance.
The reservation will cover players of indigenous sports as well as kabaddi, kho-kho, chess, mallakhamb, and cricket. Athletes competing in senior, youth, and junior categories at events organized by recognized sports bodies will qualify, as will participants in the under-19 school category, Khelo India Youth Games, University Games, Para Games, and All India Inter-University competitions.
To prevent the use of fraudulent certificates, the revised policy will introduce an automated digital verification system called Krida E-Praman.