Across time, the trajectory of Vidarbha has been shaped not only by those who built its institutions, but also by those who brought them to collapse. While rulers, planners, and administrators often dominate narratives of growth, there are others whose actions caused irreversible damage. These figures or entities exercised power through authority, negligence, violence, or corruption, directly impacting the people of the region.

Some represented foreign forces, while others came from within Vidarbha’s own structures. What binds them is the harm they caused to the social, economic, or political health of the region. Their stories are essential to understanding the struggles that have shaped Vidarbha’s development over the centuries.

1. Court Nobles in the Final Years of Raghoji III

The downfall of the Bhonsle dynasty in Nagpur was not solely the result of external conquest but also due to internal decay. During the reign of Raghoji III, from 1818 to 1853, real administrative power shifted away from the ruler and into the hands of palace nobles. These court figures controlled land revenue, judicial decisions, and appointments in rural areas. Their governance was marked by corruption, arbitrary taxation, and neglect of rural infrastructure. As a result, villages in regions now forming parts of Vidarbha experienced increased economic stress.

The weakening of central authority allowed the British East India Company to annex the kingdom without strong resistance. Their misrule contributed directly to the loss of Vidarbha’s sovereignty.

2. British East India Company’s Revenue Officers

Following the annexation of the Nagpur kingdom in 1853, the British East India Company implemented land revenue policies across the region. The Mahalwari and Ryotwari systems, introduced by colonial officers, replaced traditional, community-based systems of tax collection. These new frameworks enforced high taxes regardless of agricultural yield or climatic conditions. Small farmers in Vidarbha struggled to meet these fixed obligations, and many lost their land. These systems also promoted the shift from subsistence farming to cash crops, increasing vulnerability to market fluctuations.

The economic pressure intensified rural poverty and food insecurity. By treating agriculture as a source of fixed revenue, the Company deepened structural hardship in the region.

3. Sir Richard Temple During the 1876–78 Famine

Sir Richard Temple, as Famine Commissioner during the Great Famine of 1876–78, oversaw relief efforts in several parts of India, including the Central Provinces, which covered parts of Vidarbha. His policy approach reflected a strict adherence to limited state intervention. Relief camps provided meagre rations and were only accessible to those performing hard physical labour. Temple’s insistence on minimising state expenditure resulted in under-provisioning of food and delayed response during a critical period. Grain exports continued even as famine intensified. In districts like Amravati and Wardha, mortality rose due to starvation and disease.

His famine codes became templates for future crises, reinforcing a model that failed to prevent large-scale deaths. The consequences of his policies remain one of the most documented failures in colonial governance.

4. Engineers and Administrators of Failed Irrigation Projects

Two large irrigation projects in Vidarbha, the Upper Wardha project and the Dhamangaon lift irrigation scheme, were launched with the promise of transforming regional agriculture. In practice, they became examples of administrative failure and technical mismanagement. Farmers gave up land for reservoirs and canals, but did not receive adequate or timely compensation. Water distribution networks were poorly planned, with command areas receiving little to no irrigation. Technical flaws in the design and construction of canals reduced efficiency and coverage.

Overruns in cost and time were noted in audit reports, with delays spanning decades. Instead of relief, these projects deepened agricultural stress and mistrust among rural communities. The original vision of these schemes remains unrealised.

5. Naxalite Commanders Who Ordered Civilian Executions in Gadchiroli

The Naxalite movement in Gadchiroli began as a resistance against exploitation of tribal communities, but its direction shifted over time. Commanders started targeting civilians whom they believed to be police informers or collaborators. Victims included teachers, forest staff, health workers, and members of tribal gram sabhas. In 2018 alone, over 30 civilian killings were reported in the district. These acts were often carried out publicly, aiming to instil fear and control. Families of victims faced lasting trauma and were hesitant to engage with government services.

The tactics employed by these commanders disrupted social order and widened the gap between development programmes and local acceptance. Their violence compounded the hardship already faced by marginalised groups.

6. Contractors and Bureaucrats Behind the Gosikhurd Dam Irregularities

The Gosikhurd irrigation project, launched in the 1980s near Bhandara, was designed to serve farmers across multiple districts in Vidarbha. Despite receiving ongoing funds for over three decades, the project remained incomplete. Reports from the Comptroller and Auditor General highlighted inflated costs, fraudulent bills, and poor construction quality. Multiple contractors were found to have claimed payments for incomplete or non-existent work. Sub-canals meant to carry water to farms were missing or unusable in several places. Farmers in Bhandara, Chandrapur, and Nagpur remained dependent on rain-fed agriculture.

The failure of this project led to massive public dissatisfaction. It became a symbol of how corruption and mismanagement can stall critical infrastructure for generations.

7. Bank Staff and Middlemen Exploiting the Farm Loan Waiver Scheme

Between 2008 and 2012, a central government-backed farm loan waiver scheme was introduced to assist debt-ridden farmers in Vidarbha. However, large-scale irregularities in implementation undermined its impact. Bank employees and local agents created false beneficiary accounts and misappropriated funds. Genuine farmers, especially those who were illiterate or lacked documentation, were often excluded from the scheme. Cases were reported from Akola, Yavatmal, and Buldhana, where eligible farmers were denied relief due to data manipulation. Investigations revealed duplicate entries and missing names in official records.

Some farmers were informed their loans were cleared, only to later face recovery notices. The scheme, intended as a support mechanism, instead became another source of injustice for many in the region.

8. Feudal Zamindars in Gondia and Chandrapur

In eastern parts of Vidarbha, including Gondia and Chandrapur, feudal landlords maintained significant power during both the Maratha and British periods. These zamindars controlled tax collection, land tenancy, and access to forest resources. Tribal communities such as the Gond, Halba, and Kolam were frequently forced into bonded labour and denied rights to forest produce. The land settlement policies of the British strengthened the legal position of these landlords. In some cases, entire tribal settlements were evicted or absorbed into estates without fair compensation. Protests were met with police repression or legal intimidation.

The structure of feudal control ensured economic dependence and cultural marginalisation. These systems delayed both social reform and economic inclusion in the tribal areas of Vidarbha.

9. Management of Private Medical Colleges in Nagpur and Amravati

During the rapid expansion of private medical education in Vidarbha from the early 2000s onwards, several colleges in Nagpur and Amravati came under scrutiny. Capitation fees were demanded from students in exchange for admission, often in violation of eligibility norms. The Medical Council of India identified multiple cases of ghost faculty, inadequate infrastructure, and missing laboratories during inspections. Some colleges operated without full-time teaching staff or a standardised curriculum.

These institutions were often linked to political figures or business families. The result was a deterioration in the quality of medical training. Graduates from such institutions faced challenges in practice, while patients bore the consequences in under-resourced hospitals and clinics.

10. State Policy Makers Who Sidelined Vidarbha’s Development

Disparities in development between Western Maharashtra and Vidarbha have been recorded in government reports and debates for decades. Budget allocations for roads, irrigation, and industrial projects have consistently favoured districts like Pune and Nashik. Despite contributing to the state’s power grid and cotton production, Vidarbha received limited state-level investment. Key projects such as rail connectivity upgrades and major highways were delayed or diverted. Public health and education infrastructure remained underfunded in comparison to Western regions.

Elected representatives raised these issues repeatedly without lasting redress. The pattern of decision-making has reinforced economic backwardness and administrative neglect across many parts of Vidarbha.

Each figure or institution listed above played a role in shaping the course of Vidarbha’s challenges. The effects of their actions have continued across generations, visible in failed projects, administrative delays, and widespread disillusionment. These actors were often in positions of authority, entrusted with the responsibility to support public welfare. Instead, their decisions or negligence contributed to systemic failures.

In examining their roles, it becomes clear how critical leadership and accountability are to regional development. Vidarbha’s history includes these episodes not as isolated events, but as defining factors in the region’s present. Their impact deserves to be recorded with clarity and without distortion.