Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], August 15 (ANI): Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Saturday announced a series of major welfare and development measures for citizens of the state on the occasion of the 80th Independence Day, with a focus on rural housing, road connectivity, child nutrition and educational opportunities for youth.
Among the key announcements, the state government said it will purchase private land where adequate government or panchayat land is unavailable and provide residential plots free of cost to eligible rural families for construction of houses.
The initiative is aimed at strengthening the commitment towards "Housing for All" and ensuring that needy families in rural areas are not deprived of residential plots because of a shortage of available land.
Under the existing scheme, eligible rural families are provided free residential plots from land available within village settlement areas. However, in cases where Gram Panchayats do not have sufficient land and government wasteland or Gauchar land is also unavailable, the state government will now purchase private land for allotment to eligible beneficiaries.
The government said the decision will help address the growing demand for housing resulting from an increase in the number of families and households across rural Gujarat.
The Chief Minister also announced an allocation of Rs 3,428 crore for renovation and improvement of 2,010 km of 214 roads across Gujarat under the Roads and Buildings Department.
The government said providing citizens with safe, convenient and durable roads remains a priority. Works on heavily used state highways and major district roads will be undertaken through Output and Performance Road Contracts and Performance-Based Maintenance Contracts.
The government has also decided to increase the maintenance responsibility of contractors constructing roads from the existing four years to eight to 10 years for such projects. The move is aimed at improving the durability of roads and strengthening road maintenance standards across the state.
Another major announcement concerns supplementary nutrition for children enrolled in Anganwadis. More than 16.17 lakh children between three and six years of age across Gujarat receive hot breakfast as supplementary nutritious food for 300 days a year.
The government purchases grains, pulses, spices and vegetables from local markets for preparing the meals.
The Chief Minister announced a 67 per cent increase in the daily procurement rate per child for these food items. The rate has been increased from Rs 5.10 to Rs 8.50 per child per day, requiring an additional allocation of around Rs 169 crore by the state government.
The government said the enhanced allocation is aimed at improving nutrition among children and supporting the development of healthy and fit citizens from an early age.
In another decision aimed at supporting higher education, the Gujarat government has increased the annual family income ceiling for unreserved-category students seeking to avail themselves of the overseas education loan scheme provided through the Gujarat Unreserved Educational and Economic Development Corporation.
The income limit has been increased from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 10 lakh per annum. The decision is expected to allow more students from financially constrained families in the unreserved category to become eligible for assistance towards higher education abroad.
The state government said the move would provide greater opportunities to young people who wish to pursue higher studies overseas but may otherwise face financial constraints.
The announcements were made as Gujarat joined the country in marking the 80th Independence Day, with the state government highlighting development, welfare and opportunities for citizens as key components of its vision for Viksit Gujarat 2047. (ANI)
Empowering rural homes, infrastructure & youth: Gujarat CM unveils major welfare push on 80th Independence Day
