Ahmedabad, Jul 5 (PTI) Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Tuesday launched a 15-day long ‘Vande Gujarat Vikas Yatra’ in view of the Assembly polls to be held later this year.
A total of 82 trucks with an LED screen each would crisscross the western state till July 19 to showcase the achievements of the past 20 years of BJP rule under the leadership of Narendra Modi, first as chief minister and then as prime minister.
While one such ‘Vikas Rath’ truck was flagged off by Patel and other dignitaries at a function held at Sabarmati Riverfront here, the remaining 81 trucks were flagged off by state ministers from other parts of the state.
During these 15 days, the state government will organise 2,500 programmes in cities and villages highlighting its achievements, said Chief Secretary Pankaj Kumar, adding that nearly 25,000 new developmental works will be inaugurated or announced as part of yatra.
This government initiative seeks to highlight how Gujarat has transformed in two decades under the leadership of Narendra Modi, first as chief minister of Gujarat and then as prime minister, officials said. Modi was sworn in as CM of Gujarat for the first time in October, 2001.
In his address, Patel said the road map prepared by Modi as chief minister has helped Gujarat become the country’s growth engine today.
“Thanks to Modi’s guidance and leadership, Gujarat has progressed in every sector, including education. Today, the school drop out ratio has come down to just 3 per cent while literacy rate has gone up significantly during the last 20 years,” said Patel.
He said the number of MBBS seats in Gujarat has gone up from 1,300 to 5,700 in the last two decades, while the number of universities has gone up from 21 to 102 in the last 20 years.
The CM thanked PM Modi for free vaccination and free ration for the poor during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Riots are now a thing of the past in Gujarat. We gave 5 lakh new Jal Se Nal water connections and built 43 lakh toilets during the last 20 years. While Gujarat is number one in attracting foreign investment, our unemployment rate is lowest in the country with just 2 per cent” Patel said in his address. PTI PJT PD BNM BNM
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.