Nagpur: Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday inaugurated Maharashtra’s first Entertainment, Knowledge and Learning (EKAL) hub at Khapri in Nagpur, marking the launch of an ambitious initiative aimed at bringing affordable entertainment and digital learning facilities to rural communities across the state.The EKAL hub, being developed by the Laxmanrao Mankar Trust in collaboration with Cine Chourangi, is designed as a mini theatre where films will be screened at nominal rates for locals. Beyond entertainment, the facility will also function as a digital classroom and a venue for seminars, training programmes, workshops, and educational activities for people from nearby villages.Addressing the gathering, Gadkari said the Khapri centre is part of the first phase of the programme and that nearly 350 such hubs will be developed across rural Maharashtra in the coming years. The second phase of the expansion will focus on districts such as Washim and Gadchiroli.Gadkari said the project has the potential to bring significant socio-economic change to rural areas. “No philosophy can be taught to an empty stomach,” he said, quoting Swami Vivekananda, stressing that development initiatives must address the economic realities of the poor and socially disadvantaged sections.Gadkari also revealed that he has personally adopted Washim district and aims to create nearly 3,000 jobs there within the next two years. Several initiatives are already in progress, including a diagnostic centre, a CNG pump and a super bazaar, along with skill development programmes aimed at improving employment opportunities for local youth.Sharing a personal anecdote from his early days in public life, Gadkari recalled how he was arrested during a protest shortly after the Emergency period and spent four days in jail because he and his colleagues could not collectively arrange the ₹50 required for bail. The experience, he said, made him realise the importance of financial independence and economic empowerment.Reflecting on the philosophy behind the EKAL initiative, Gadkari admitted that he was initially sceptical about the idea, believing that such projects might have limitations. However, he later became convinced that the concept could help uplift socially and economically backward communities by combining education, culture, and entertainment under one roof.He also noted that true social reform requires long-term vision. “Every politician thinks about the next election, but a socio-economic reformer thinks for the next century,” he said, adding that initiatives like the EKAL hubs are small but meaningful contributions toward improving the quality of life and happiness of people in rural India.INFO:About the ‘Ekal Hub’ ProjectThe project will establish EKAL Hub centers combining entertainment, education, and community servicesEach hub will include a cinema theatre with two screens. Each screen to have 125-seating capacity
