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VOL-VII • ISSUE-2 • APRIL 2017 | thegujaratmagazine@gmail.com
BUDGET BUDGET 2017-182017-18
`25000cr.
EDUCATION
`8800cr.
HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE
`2000cr.
TRIBAL DEVELOPMENT
`11500cr.
URBAN DEVELOPMENT
& URBAN HOUSING
`8100cr.ENERGY &
PETROCHEMICALS
GUJARAT TOWARDS FAST-TRACK DEVELOPMENT
GUJARAT TOWARDS FAST-TRACK DEVELOPMENT
MEGA JOB FAIR PM’S MESSAGE FOR WOMEN PANCH MAHOTSAV
Dear Readers,
Gujarat has embarked upon a journey of fast track development where dedicated efforts and strong-will of the government are the fuel and all round development of the state is the destination. Keeping this goal in mind we have announced the new State Budget for the financial year 2017-18. This Budget is in accordance with Gujarat's long standing tradition of development till the last mile. This Budget is pro-poor and pro farmers, who are the lifeline of our economy. At the same time, the Budget is modern, welfare and growth oriented in keeping with the needs of the economy currently. The Budget has benefits for all sections of the society.
This March, we observed International Women's Day in the august presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Gujarat is a progressive state and doesn't consider development of women as just emancipation of a weaker section of the society. It is more about celebrating women, their strengths and achievements and encouraging them to prosper with the dedicated support of the state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself addressed the women of Gujarat and congratulated them for their exemplary contribution in ‘Swachha Bharat Abhiyan’. He recognised that women are the flag-bearers of change in society and that the goal towards a clean India will be realised through the leadership of women.
In the past quarter following the mega event Vibrant Gujarat, the state has seen many development activities in digitalisation of economy, infrastructure creation and creating new opportunities for youth, women, tribals, rural and urban citizens alike.
I hope you enjoy reading about these flagship programmes of the state government in this issue of the Gujarat.
Jai Jai Garvi Gujarat...
Chief Editor A. J. Shah
Co-editor Arvind Patel
Managing Editor Pulak Trivedi
Dy. Chief Editor R. R. Turi
Team ‘the GUJARAT’ Seema Dave Shraddha Gidwani
Design & Layout Crayon Creative & Media Agencywww.crayonadvt.com
DistributionJayesh DaveMukundan K. P.
LETTERS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO Directorate of Information First Floor, Block no. 19, Dr. Jivraj Mehta Bhavan, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India- 382010
All rights reserved. Any reproduction of this publication's contents, in whole or in part, without written permission, is prohibited. the Gujarat does not necessarily agree with the views of the writers/contributors.
Publisher Shri A. J. Shah and Printer Manager, Government Photo Litho Press, Ahmedabad on Behalf of Owner Directorate of Information, Govt. of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, Printed At Government Photo Litho Press, Ahmedabad Published From 19/1, Dr. Jivraj Mehta Bhavan, Gandhinagar (Gujarat) : April, 2017Editor Shri A. J. Shah
E-mail: thegujaratmagazine@gmail.com
VOL-VII • ISSUE-2 • APRIL, 2017An English Quarterly Magazine
CM’S MESSAGE
VIJAY RUPANI CHIEF MINISTER, GUJARAT
Yuva Swavalamban Yojana: Assistance worth 1100 cr
Higher Education: assistance to 45,000 students
Secondary schools: free textbooks to 21,03,000 students
Tablets provided to 3,50,000 students at a cost of Rs. 1000
Employment: Job fairs organised to benefit 3,00,000 youths
Start-up policy: Rs. 19 cr towards self employment opportunities
Art and culture: allocation of 10 cr for state-level art and culture extravaganza
Sports and recreation: 10,000 rural gyms planned
DEDICATED GOVERNMENT FOR
DEVELOPMENT OF THE YOUTH
Dear Readers,
Gujarat has embarked upon a journey of fast track development where dedicated efforts and strong-will of the government are the fuel and all round development of the state is the destination. Keeping this goal in mind we have announced the new State Budget for the financial year 2017-18. This Budget is in accordance with Gujarat's long standing tradition of development till the last mile. This Budget is pro-poor and pro farmers, who are the lifeline of our economy. At the same time, the Budget is modern, welfare and growth oriented in keeping with the needs of the economy currently. The Budget has benefits for all sections of the society.
This March, we observed International Women's Day in the august presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Gujarat is a progressive state and doesn't consider development of women as just emancipation of a weaker section of the society. It is more about celebrating women, their strengths and achievements and encouraging them to prosper with the dedicated support of the state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself addressed the women of Gujarat and congratulated them for their exemplary contribution in ‘Swachha Bharat Abhiyan’. He recognised that women are the flag-bearers of change in society and that the goal towards a clean India will be realised through the leadership of women.
In the past quarter following the mega event Vibrant Gujarat, the state has seen many development activities in digitalisation of economy, infrastructure creation and creating new opportunities for youth, women, tribals, rural and urban citizens alike.
I hope you enjoy reading about these flagship programmes of the state government in this issue of the Gujarat.
Jai Jai Garvi Gujarat...
Chief Editor A. J. Shah
Co-editor Arvind Patel
Managing Editor Pulak Trivedi
Dy. Chief Editor R. R. Turi
Team ‘the GUJARAT’ Seema Dave Shraddha Gidwani
Design & Layout Crayon Creative & Media Agencywww.crayonadvt.com
DistributionJayesh DaveMukundan K. P.
LETTERS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO Directorate of Information First Floor, Block no. 19, Dr. Jivraj Mehta Bhavan, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India- 382010
All rights reserved. Any reproduction of this publication's contents, in whole or in part, without written permission, is prohibited. the Gujarat does not necessarily agree with the views of the writers/contributors.
Publisher Shri A. J. Shah and Printer Manager, Government Photo Litho Press, Ahmedabad on Behalf of Owner Directorate of Information, Govt. of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, Printed At Government Photo Litho Press, Ahmedabad Published From 19/1, Dr. Jivraj Mehta Bhavan, Gandhinagar (Gujarat) : April, 2017Editor Shri A. J. Shah
E-mail: thegujaratmagazine@gmail.com
VOL-VII • ISSUE-2 • APRIL, 2017An English Quarterly Magazine
CM’S MESSAGE
VIJAY RUPANI CHIEF MINISTER, GUJARAT
Yuva Swavalamban Yojana: Assistance worth 1100 cr
Higher Education: assistance to 45,000 students
Secondary schools: free textbooks to 21,03,000 students
Tablets provided to 3,50,000 students at a cost of Rs. 1000
Employment: Job fairs organised to benefit 3,00,000 youths
Start-up policy: Rs. 19 cr towards self employment opportunities
Art and culture: allocation of 10 cr for state-level art and culture extravaganza
Sports and recreation: 10,000 rural gyms planned
DEDICATED GOVERNMENT FOR
DEVELOPMENT OF THE YOUTH
03 GUJARAT THIS QUARTER
06 GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES
PRIME MINISTER IN GUJARAT:
TOWARDS A SAFE, EMPOWERED AND EQUAL SOCIETY
Success Story: Ramilaben
HIGH-WAY TO I-WAY
BHARUCH CASHLESS AND DIGITALLY INTEGRATED TOWNSHIP
MEGA JOB FAIR
PESA ACT
OPaL PLANT
STUDENT STARTUP AND INNOVATION POLICY
32 IN CONVERSATION
GANPATSINH VASAVA
GUJARAT THIS QUARTER
“If there is one city in the entire country which singularly contributes to national economy it is Surat,” PM Narendra Modi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi complimented all those who contributed to unbelievable development and facelift of the Surat city over the last 25 years, and gave the credit to their vision and exemplary efforts.
PM Modi who began his two-day whirlwind tour of Gujarat from Surat this afternoon said that if there is one city in the entire country which could singularly contribute to the national economy on its own strengths it is undoubtedly Surat.
Speaking at his grand reception at the Surat airport, he complimented Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and his team for their efforts for declaring towns Open Defecation Free (ODF) as part of the national cleanliness campaign. At the national level, he said, necessary infrastructure has been created in nearly 500 towns to make them ODF, while this number of such villages runs into lakhs.
PM Modi also spoke on the Central Government’s move to remove the perpetual shortage of doctors and teachers in medical colleges by reversing the restriction on postgraduate seats in
med ica l co l l eges . Near ly 4 ,000 postgraduate seats were added in one year, and at this rate 40,000 to one lakh doctors could be produced in the country in a few years
CM distributes 55 orders of ULC charter to beneficiaries in Ahmedabad city
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani attended a programme which was organized by Ahmedabad District Administration to authorize land occupancy under urban land ceiling act. He briefed about his historic decision to provide 33 lakh 80 thousand sq. meter
land out of 1 crore 49 lakh sq. meter land to poor - deprived persons in six cities of the state on behalf of state revenue department under ULC act. On the occasion he said that we are committed to fulfill the dream of each citizen of the state to build their dream home.
According to CM Rupani, the state government is committed to providing food and home to poor and middle class labour families of the state. The government has given them livelihood t h r o u g h i n d u s t r y - b u s i n e s s – employment and now has given them home by providing spare land of the city under urban land ceiling act. Under leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to fulfill the mantra of ‘collective efforts – inclusive growth’ the State Government will lead the nation in distribution of ULC land occupancy by providing dream home to each citizen within year 2022. The poor families with unofficial occupancy of land were unable to sleep as the tension of demolition, but now with occupancy charter of home they will have sound sleep.
He briefed people and gave details about current year budget to provide loan assistance worth Rs. 4,84,000 for housing construction to middle class – poor families. He reaffirmed the mantra of
20COVER STORYGUJARAT TOWARDS FAST-TRACK DEVELOPMENT
BUDGET 2017-18
36 IN FOCUS
PM IN SOMNATH
CELEBRATING THE KING OF SEASONS :
VASANTOTSAV
PANCH MAHOTSAV A CELEBRATION OF
HERITAGE
A BRIGHT-LIT PATH FOR TOURISM IN GUJARAT
TOWARDS HEALTH, PROSPERITY AND
AWARENESS
44 VISIONARIES
CHIMANBHAI SAPARIYA
48 UPCOMING EVENTS
INDEX QUICK BITES
2 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 3
03 GUJARAT THIS QUARTER
06 GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES
PRIME MINISTER IN GUJARAT:
TOWARDS A SAFE, EMPOWERED AND EQUAL SOCIETY
Success Story: Ramilaben
HIGH-WAY TO I-WAY
BHARUCH CASHLESS AND DIGITALLY INTEGRATED TOWNSHIP
MEGA JOB FAIR
PESA ACT
OPaL PLANT
STUDENT STARTUP AND INNOVATION POLICY
32 IN CONVERSATION
GANPATSINH VASAVA
GUJARAT THIS QUARTER
“If there is one city in the entire country which singularly contributes to national economy it is Surat,” PM Narendra Modi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi complimented all those who contributed to unbelievable development and facelift of the Surat city over the last 25 years, and gave the credit to their vision and exemplary efforts.
PM Modi who began his two-day whirlwind tour of Gujarat from Surat this afternoon said that if there is one city in the entire country which could singularly contribute to the national economy on its own strengths it is undoubtedly Surat.
Speaking at his grand reception at the Surat airport, he complimented Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and his team for their efforts for declaring towns Open Defecation Free (ODF) as part of the national cleanliness campaign. At the national level, he said, necessary infrastructure has been created in nearly 500 towns to make them ODF, while this number of such villages runs into lakhs.
PM Modi also spoke on the Central Government’s move to remove the perpetual shortage of doctors and teachers in medical colleges by reversing the restriction on postgraduate seats in
med ica l co l l eges . Near ly 4 ,000 postgraduate seats were added in one year, and at this rate 40,000 to one lakh doctors could be produced in the country in a few years
CM distributes 55 orders of ULC charter to beneficiaries in Ahmedabad city
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani attended a programme which was organized by Ahmedabad District Administration to authorize land occupancy under urban land ceiling act. He briefed about his historic decision to provide 33 lakh 80 thousand sq. meter
land out of 1 crore 49 lakh sq. meter land to poor - deprived persons in six cities of the state on behalf of state revenue department under ULC act. On the occasion he said that we are committed to fulfill the dream of each citizen of the state to build their dream home.
According to CM Rupani, the state government is committed to providing food and home to poor and middle class labour families of the state. The government has given them livelihood t h r o u g h i n d u s t r y - b u s i n e s s – employment and now has given them home by providing spare land of the city under urban land ceiling act. Under leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to fulfill the mantra of ‘collective efforts – inclusive growth’ the State Government will lead the nation in distribution of ULC land occupancy by providing dream home to each citizen within year 2022. The poor families with unofficial occupancy of land were unable to sleep as the tension of demolition, but now with occupancy charter of home they will have sound sleep.
He briefed people and gave details about current year budget to provide loan assistance worth Rs. 4,84,000 for housing construction to middle class – poor families. He reaffirmed the mantra of
20COVER STORYGUJARAT TOWARDS FAST-TRACK DEVELOPMENT
BUDGET 2017-18
36 IN FOCUS
PM IN SOMNATH
CELEBRATING THE KING OF SEASONS :
VASANTOTSAV
PANCH MAHOTSAV A CELEBRATION OF
HERITAGE
A BRIGHT-LIT PATH FOR TOURISM IN GUJARAT
TOWARDS HEALTH, PROSPERITY AND
AWARENESS
44 VISIONARIES
CHIMANBHAI SAPARIYA
48 UPCOMING EVENTS
INDEX QUICK BITES
2 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 3
‘Har Haath Ko Kaam – Kaam Ka Sahi Daam’ by giving meals at just Rs. 10 within upcoming days to the labour families of Gujarat.
It is worth to mention here that 3,802 a p p l i c a t i o n s w e r e r e c e i v e d i n Ahmedabad to get occupancy charter under urban land ceiling act. Out of them CM Rupani distributed the charter orders to 55 people and 203 people have been given intimation orders. As a result of the historic decision 124 societies, 30 flats and 130 chawls will get recognition as per the rules of this act.
After BSE, GIFT city now welcomes the MCX
“We are grateful to the Government of Gujarat, and appreciative of GIFT City's continuous support for helping us participate and contribute in our own way, in fulfilling the larger vision of our Honourable Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi ji, of creating a vibrant financial services centre in India. This, therefore, is an opportunity for us to not just diversify our risk and strengthen our competencies, but also participate in India's growth story”
- Mr. Saurabh Chandra, Chairman, MCX
According to Ajay Pandey, MD and Group CEO of GIFT City, the presence of
MCX is a testament to the state-of-the-art IT infrastructure and world-class amenities of GIFT City that have been designed in line with other reputed global financial hubs. GIFT City has one of India's largest Tier IV data centre, high quality cloud services and competitive cost of operations. In the coming days, we hope to see more such premier institutions making GIFT City their home, which will only strengthen its credential as India's first successful Global Financial Hub”
Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijay Rupani inaugurated the new office of Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd. (MCX), at GIFT City, Gandhinagar on 31st January, 2017. This inauguration comes as a prompt move following the MoU between MCX and the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) Company Ltd. during the recently concluded Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit with an intent to expand the exchange's operations in terms of Business Continuity (BC) and Disaster Recovery (DR), training & education and technology (Software Development and Information Technology Operations). During the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, MCX expressed its intention to invest over Rs 30 crore and develop employee strength of over 100 at this office over the next few years.
During his inaugural address, CM Rupani expressed confidence that Gujarat is definitely the Manufacturing Hub of the country and it will soon emerge as the new financial hub of the country. He mentioned that it was the vision of our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi during his tenure as the Chief Minister of Gujarat to set up the GIFT city and develop it as the centre of all financial activity of the country. With the inauguration of the MCX at GIFT city, shortly after setting up of BSE, this vision has moved yet another step closer towards realization.
Shri Rupani took great pride in announcing that with the entry of BSE and MCX into GIFT city, forward trading is bound to get a huge impetus. He also took this opportunity to invite overseas firms to set up their offices at GIFT city. He said with complete conviction that GIFT city will soon house the complete range of financial services like share trading, commodity exchange, BPOs, KPOs, nationalized banks and provide employment to about 10 lakh youths.
The MCX setup, spread over 22,600 sq ft, will house its Business Continuity (BC) and Disaster Recovery (DR) centre and a training and education facility. The purpose of the BC Plan is to prepare MCX in the event of extended service outages caused by factors beyond control
(e.g. natural disasters, man-made events) and to restore services to the widest extent possible in a minimum time frame. MCX has plans to set up its in-house software development division for data analytics, internal automation, ancillary applications and value addition services to its members.
The training and education facility will conduct training programmes and impart knowledge for the enhancement of skills and capabilities of students and working professionals, desirous of making a career in commodity market. Since the GIFT City is bound to emerge as a large and vibrant hub of finance, encompassing all of its various market segments: commodities, equity, foreign exchange and fixed income, the training facility can help create capacity in the trading community from India and abroad.
MCX is also looking at a possible future expansion of the facility, including the possibility of setting up a training campus.
State Government to develop 10 state-of- the art bus terminals at a cost of Rs. 913 cores
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of an iconic and a modern bus terminal at Bharuch on Tuesday, the 7th March, 2017 which is going to be built under the PPP model at a cost of Rs. 92.69 crores.
Ten state of the art bus terminals will be developed under the PPP model by the State Transport Corporation at a cost of Rs. 913 crores which will be incurred by the state government. In addition, 1600 new buses will be introduced by the
G.S.R.T.C for the innermost areas of the state which will benefit an approximate o f 8 3 , 0 0 0 t r a v e l e r s d a i l y. T h e government has allocated a fund of Rs. 410 crores for the same.
CM addresses people through BISAG and appeals to increase Green-cover in the state on world forest day.
In the occasion of World Forest Day, Chief Minister of Gujarat appealed to one and all to combat the issue of Global Warming by planting more and more trees. He said that trees, forest, water, animals and humans and various other forms of life are attached to one another by the spirit of 'Vasudeva Kutumbakam'. He further added that it is the need of the hour that the social, economic and the environmental aspect of life, along with energy consumption, work together in sync for a sustainable future.
CM inaugurates 31st Gujarat Science
Congress
The 31st Gujarat Science Congress was
organised at Pandit Deendayal Petroleum
Universi ty(PDPU) on the 4th of
February, 2017. The Chief Minister of
Gujarat, Vijay Rupani inaugurated the 2-
day event jointly organised by Gujarat
Science Academy, Gujarat Energy
Research and Management Institute
(GERMI), PDPU and Institute of
Seismological Research (ISR).
At the event, Shri Rupani expressed his
keenness to formulate a new policy of
science and technology for the state
which would aim to provide a suitable
global platform in the field of science and
technology to the youth of the state. This
would be in line with the vision of our
Hon'ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra
Modi and the Niti Aayog.
Shri Rupani also encouraged the
students to take up careers in science and
felicitated best teachers and professors
rendering quality education in the field of
science, mathematics, biology, physics
and space science.
Free Wi-Fi service for Rajkot BRTS
passengers
The Chief Minister of Gujarat, Vijay
Rupani launched free Wi-Fi service on
the buses plying under the Bus Rapid
Transit System (BRTS) in Rajkot, on the
11th of February, 2017. Acording to the
CM, 15 thousand passengers of Rajkot
will be benefited from it.
This is an initiative of the Rajkot
Municipal Corporation and the Wi-Fi
facility has been made available on 18
bus shelters from the day of the
inauguration. This service will allow
every passenger to use Wi-Fi service for
10 minutes at the speed of 10mbps.
The Rajkot BRTS pilot blue corridor
has been designed to cover a distance of
10.70 km, from Gandal Chokdi to
Madhapar Chowk. The corridor provides
for service lanes, cycle zones, pedestrian
ways, motor vehicle lane and BRTS bus
lane along with 18 shelters. These 18
shelters have been equipped with CCTV
camera, smooth travelling facility for
Divyangs, Paytm, smart ticketing etc.•
QUICK BITES QUICK BITES
4 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 5
‘Har Haath Ko Kaam – Kaam Ka Sahi Daam’ by giving meals at just Rs. 10 within upcoming days to the labour families of Gujarat.
It is worth to mention here that 3,802 a p p l i c a t i o n s w e r e r e c e i v e d i n Ahmedabad to get occupancy charter under urban land ceiling act. Out of them CM Rupani distributed the charter orders to 55 people and 203 people have been given intimation orders. As a result of the historic decision 124 societies, 30 flats and 130 chawls will get recognition as per the rules of this act.
After BSE, GIFT city now welcomes the MCX
“We are grateful to the Government of Gujarat, and appreciative of GIFT City's continuous support for helping us participate and contribute in our own way, in fulfilling the larger vision of our Honourable Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi ji, of creating a vibrant financial services centre in India. This, therefore, is an opportunity for us to not just diversify our risk and strengthen our competencies, but also participate in India's growth story”
- Mr. Saurabh Chandra, Chairman, MCX
According to Ajay Pandey, MD and Group CEO of GIFT City, the presence of
MCX is a testament to the state-of-the-art IT infrastructure and world-class amenities of GIFT City that have been designed in line with other reputed global financial hubs. GIFT City has one of India's largest Tier IV data centre, high quality cloud services and competitive cost of operations. In the coming days, we hope to see more such premier institutions making GIFT City their home, which will only strengthen its credential as India's first successful Global Financial Hub”
Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijay Rupani inaugurated the new office of Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd. (MCX), at GIFT City, Gandhinagar on 31st January, 2017. This inauguration comes as a prompt move following the MoU between MCX and the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) Company Ltd. during the recently concluded Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit with an intent to expand the exchange's operations in terms of Business Continuity (BC) and Disaster Recovery (DR), training & education and technology (Software Development and Information Technology Operations). During the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, MCX expressed its intention to invest over Rs 30 crore and develop employee strength of over 100 at this office over the next few years.
During his inaugural address, CM Rupani expressed confidence that Gujarat is definitely the Manufacturing Hub of the country and it will soon emerge as the new financial hub of the country. He mentioned that it was the vision of our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi during his tenure as the Chief Minister of Gujarat to set up the GIFT city and develop it as the centre of all financial activity of the country. With the inauguration of the MCX at GIFT city, shortly after setting up of BSE, this vision has moved yet another step closer towards realization.
Shri Rupani took great pride in announcing that with the entry of BSE and MCX into GIFT city, forward trading is bound to get a huge impetus. He also took this opportunity to invite overseas firms to set up their offices at GIFT city. He said with complete conviction that GIFT city will soon house the complete range of financial services like share trading, commodity exchange, BPOs, KPOs, nationalized banks and provide employment to about 10 lakh youths.
The MCX setup, spread over 22,600 sq ft, will house its Business Continuity (BC) and Disaster Recovery (DR) centre and a training and education facility. The purpose of the BC Plan is to prepare MCX in the event of extended service outages caused by factors beyond control
(e.g. natural disasters, man-made events) and to restore services to the widest extent possible in a minimum time frame. MCX has plans to set up its in-house software development division for data analytics, internal automation, ancillary applications and value addition services to its members.
The training and education facility will conduct training programmes and impart knowledge for the enhancement of skills and capabilities of students and working professionals, desirous of making a career in commodity market. Since the GIFT City is bound to emerge as a large and vibrant hub of finance, encompassing all of its various market segments: commodities, equity, foreign exchange and fixed income, the training facility can help create capacity in the trading community from India and abroad.
MCX is also looking at a possible future expansion of the facility, including the possibility of setting up a training campus.
State Government to develop 10 state-of- the art bus terminals at a cost of Rs. 913 cores
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of an iconic and a modern bus terminal at Bharuch on Tuesday, the 7th March, 2017 which is going to be built under the PPP model at a cost of Rs. 92.69 crores.
Ten state of the art bus terminals will be developed under the PPP model by the State Transport Corporation at a cost of Rs. 913 crores which will be incurred by the state government. In addition, 1600 new buses will be introduced by the
G.S.R.T.C for the innermost areas of the state which will benefit an approximate o f 8 3 , 0 0 0 t r a v e l e r s d a i l y. T h e government has allocated a fund of Rs. 410 crores for the same.
CM addresses people through BISAG and appeals to increase Green-cover in the state on world forest day.
In the occasion of World Forest Day, Chief Minister of Gujarat appealed to one and all to combat the issue of Global Warming by planting more and more trees. He said that trees, forest, water, animals and humans and various other forms of life are attached to one another by the spirit of 'Vasudeva Kutumbakam'. He further added that it is the need of the hour that the social, economic and the environmental aspect of life, along with energy consumption, work together in sync for a sustainable future.
CM inaugurates 31st Gujarat Science
Congress
The 31st Gujarat Science Congress was
organised at Pandit Deendayal Petroleum
Universi ty(PDPU) on the 4th of
February, 2017. The Chief Minister of
Gujarat, Vijay Rupani inaugurated the 2-
day event jointly organised by Gujarat
Science Academy, Gujarat Energy
Research and Management Institute
(GERMI), PDPU and Institute of
Seismological Research (ISR).
At the event, Shri Rupani expressed his
keenness to formulate a new policy of
science and technology for the state
which would aim to provide a suitable
global platform in the field of science and
technology to the youth of the state. This
would be in line with the vision of our
Hon'ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra
Modi and the Niti Aayog.
Shri Rupani also encouraged the
students to take up careers in science and
felicitated best teachers and professors
rendering quality education in the field of
science, mathematics, biology, physics
and space science.
Free Wi-Fi service for Rajkot BRTS
passengers
The Chief Minister of Gujarat, Vijay
Rupani launched free Wi-Fi service on
the buses plying under the Bus Rapid
Transit System (BRTS) in Rajkot, on the
11th of February, 2017. Acording to the
CM, 15 thousand passengers of Rajkot
will be benefited from it.
This is an initiative of the Rajkot
Municipal Corporation and the Wi-Fi
facility has been made available on 18
bus shelters from the day of the
inauguration. This service will allow
every passenger to use Wi-Fi service for
10 minutes at the speed of 10mbps.
The Rajkot BRTS pilot blue corridor
has been designed to cover a distance of
10.70 km, from Gandal Chokdi to
Madhapar Chowk. The corridor provides
for service lanes, cycle zones, pedestrian
ways, motor vehicle lane and BRTS bus
lane along with 18 shelters. These 18
shelters have been equipped with CCTV
camera, smooth travelling facility for
Divyangs, Paytm, smart ticketing etc.•
QUICK BITES QUICK BITES
4 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 5
Gujarat has made a strong identity in the entire world for being a state that is dedicated
to inclusive development. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision and dedication has helped Gujarat achieve this success. It is always an inspiring occasion when the Prime Minister visits Gujarat and addresses the nation from the capital city.
Women's day in 2017 became one such grand occasion for Gujarat when the Prime Minister visited the state and addressed the nation from Mahatma Mandir. His message for making cleanliness a part of our innate nature and na t iona l i den t i t y was me t w i th enthusiasm and filled the people with motivation to ensure Gujarat yet again successfully achieves this goal.
Addressing the national level ‘Swachh
Shakti-2017’ conference of women sarpanches of the country to mark the International Women's Day at Mahatma Mandir, he said that last two years' efforts under the Swachh Bharat Mission has increased the number of toilets in India from 42% to 62%.
He urged the women sarpanch to work relentlessly to ensure this number increases sharply by the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in 2019 during the next 18 months. This would put an end to the unhygienic, unsanitary and undignified act of open defecation. He wished this conference, being held in the auditorium Mahatma Mandir in the state capital Gandhinagar-both named after Mahatma Gandhi- carries special significance.
Lauding the natural characteristics of womenfolk of discharging their duty with greater dedication than men, he said the villages having women sarpanches
should ensure there should be no female foeticide. He asked them to take up 'Beti Bachao; Beti Padhao' (Save Girl Child and Educate Girl Child) as a social-national campaign.
PM Modi sa id women make a significant part of population and if they take active interest, the country's development is certain. There is need to r e m o v e g e n d e r i m b a l a n c e i n demography. He spoke about daughters who don't marry to care for her aging parents and sons sending their parents to 'Vriddhashram (senior citizens' dorms) to shirk off their duty. He recalled that this year sportswomen brought glory to India in the Olympic Games . Female candidates also performed better than males in competitive examinations.
He said that Rs. two lakh-crore are proposed to send directly to villages after 14th Finance Commission to ensure they become self-reliant, with urban facilities
in such technologically upgraded model villages. He said that 70,000 out of 2.50-lakh village panchayats have been connected with optical fibre cables, linking schools and panchayat ghars.
Referring to sarpanches demand for payment of their salary through the treasury since they represent the government, he said a meeting would be convened shortly to discuss the issue. The villages need complete overhaul, linking t h e m t o n a t i o n a l d e v e l o p m e n t , celebrating birthdays of villagers settled elsewhere, felicitating elders, planting trees, converting garbage into gold to achieve a culture of cleanliness. Quoting World Bank report that Rs.7,000 is to be spent by a poor family for diseases due to filth, he said the money if saved could be spent on development works. The sarpanches should feel proud to ensure complete vaccination, primary school education. He recited a Hindi translation of Rabindranath Tagore's poem to drive home his point for restoring natural beauty of the villages.
The Prime Minister presented the 'Swachh Shakti Puraskars to ten women c h a m p i o n s o n t h e o c c a s i o n o f International Women's Day. They are Uttara Takur (Chhema village in
Chhattisgarh), Nilam Kumar (SHG, Haryana), Asha Putri (Rajasthan), Manju Maurya (Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh), Sumitra Kumari (Assam) Shivani Dakoch (Shalvari, West Bengal), Akamma Harwal, SHG, Kannada), Ramilaben Gamit (Taparwada village, Tapi district, Gujarat), and Sushila Kurkutte (Palghar, Maharashtra).
Gujarat's Swati Paradkar of Lijjat Papad, social worker Maltiben Joitaram Chaudhary, swimming champion Mana Patel, table tennis champion Shaini Gomes were felicitated on the occasion.
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the son of the soil re-launching the Swachh Bharat Mission as a mass campaign on the International Women's Day to take it to all corners of India from this land of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Morarji Desai. He exuded confidence that the campaign would result in realising Mahatma Gandhi's dream of Gram Swaraj. He felt pride in Gujarat leading the country to free the womenfolk from the shame and insult of open defecation.
According to CM Rupani, Gujarat didn't believe in women's development a l o n e b u t a l s o i n w o m e n - l e d
development. The Gujarat Government has implemented 33% reservation for women in government service including police force, as well as in local self-government organizations. Gujarat is leading save the girl child; educate the girl child, freeing tuition fee in medical colleges for girls, empowerment of women in all-women co-operative societies. Gujarat has built 26 lakh toilets, having declared 25 districts cent per cent open defecation free. Gujarat is Number One in the number of open defecation free gram panchayats, reflecting a model o f p e o p l e ' s p a r t i c i p a t i o n . H e complimented the women champions.
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan also spoke on the occasion.
Union Water Resources Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the number of villages free from open defecation has risen to 1,17,000 villages. The Centre is committed and keen to take the cleanliness criteria from present 61.58% to 100%.
Gujarat former Chief Minis ter Anandiben Patel lauded Prime Minister's relentless efforts as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, initiating a number of women-centric campaigns, for 13 years to make it a Model State.•
GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES
PRIME MINISTER IN GUJARAT:
A SPECIAL MESSAGE FOR WOMEN'S DAYby Shraddha Gidwani
6 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 7
Gujarat has made a strong identity in the entire world for being a state that is dedicated
to inclusive development. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision and dedication has helped Gujarat achieve this success. It is always an inspiring occasion when the Prime Minister visits Gujarat and addresses the nation from the capital city.
Women's day in 2017 became one such grand occasion for Gujarat when the Prime Minister visited the state and addressed the nation from Mahatma Mandir. His message for making cleanliness a part of our innate nature and na t iona l i den t i t y was me t w i th enthusiasm and filled the people with motivation to ensure Gujarat yet again successfully achieves this goal.
Addressing the national level ‘Swachh
Shakti-2017’ conference of women sarpanches of the country to mark the International Women's Day at Mahatma Mandir, he said that last two years' efforts under the Swachh Bharat Mission has increased the number of toilets in India from 42% to 62%.
He urged the women sarpanch to work relentlessly to ensure this number increases sharply by the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in 2019 during the next 18 months. This would put an end to the unhygienic, unsanitary and undignified act of open defecation. He wished this conference, being held in the auditorium Mahatma Mandir in the state capital Gandhinagar-both named after Mahatma Gandhi- carries special significance.
Lauding the natural characteristics of womenfolk of discharging their duty with greater dedication than men, he said the villages having women sarpanches
should ensure there should be no female foeticide. He asked them to take up 'Beti Bachao; Beti Padhao' (Save Girl Child and Educate Girl Child) as a social-national campaign.
PM Modi sa id women make a significant part of population and if they take active interest, the country's development is certain. There is need to r e m o v e g e n d e r i m b a l a n c e i n demography. He spoke about daughters who don't marry to care for her aging parents and sons sending their parents to 'Vriddhashram (senior citizens' dorms) to shirk off their duty. He recalled that this year sportswomen brought glory to India in the Olympic Games . Female candidates also performed better than males in competitive examinations.
He said that Rs. two lakh-crore are proposed to send directly to villages after 14th Finance Commission to ensure they become self-reliant, with urban facilities
in such technologically upgraded model villages. He said that 70,000 out of 2.50-lakh village panchayats have been connected with optical fibre cables, linking schools and panchayat ghars.
Referring to sarpanches demand for payment of their salary through the treasury since they represent the government, he said a meeting would be convened shortly to discuss the issue. The villages need complete overhaul, linking t h e m t o n a t i o n a l d e v e l o p m e n t , celebrating birthdays of villagers settled elsewhere, felicitating elders, planting trees, converting garbage into gold to achieve a culture of cleanliness. Quoting World Bank report that Rs.7,000 is to be spent by a poor family for diseases due to filth, he said the money if saved could be spent on development works. The sarpanches should feel proud to ensure complete vaccination, primary school education. He recited a Hindi translation of Rabindranath Tagore's poem to drive home his point for restoring natural beauty of the villages.
The Prime Minister presented the 'Swachh Shakti Puraskars to ten women c h a m p i o n s o n t h e o c c a s i o n o f International Women's Day. They are Uttara Takur (Chhema village in
Chhattisgarh), Nilam Kumar (SHG, Haryana), Asha Putri (Rajasthan), Manju Maurya (Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh), Sumitra Kumari (Assam) Shivani Dakoch (Shalvari, West Bengal), Akamma Harwal, SHG, Kannada), Ramilaben Gamit (Taparwada village, Tapi district, Gujarat), and Sushila Kurkutte (Palghar, Maharashtra).
Gujarat's Swati Paradkar of Lijjat Papad, social worker Maltiben Joitaram Chaudhary, swimming champion Mana Patel, table tennis champion Shaini Gomes were felicitated on the occasion.
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the son of the soil re-launching the Swachh Bharat Mission as a mass campaign on the International Women's Day to take it to all corners of India from this land of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Morarji Desai. He exuded confidence that the campaign would result in realising Mahatma Gandhi's dream of Gram Swaraj. He felt pride in Gujarat leading the country to free the womenfolk from the shame and insult of open defecation.
According to CM Rupani, Gujarat didn't believe in women's development a l o n e b u t a l s o i n w o m e n - l e d
development. The Gujarat Government has implemented 33% reservation for women in government service including police force, as well as in local self-government organizations. Gujarat is leading save the girl child; educate the girl child, freeing tuition fee in medical colleges for girls, empowerment of women in all-women co-operative societies. Gujarat has built 26 lakh toilets, having declared 25 districts cent per cent open defecation free. Gujarat is Number One in the number of open defecation free gram panchayats, reflecting a model o f p e o p l e ' s p a r t i c i p a t i o n . H e complimented the women champions.
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan also spoke on the occasion.
Union Water Resources Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the number of villages free from open defecation has risen to 1,17,000 villages. The Centre is committed and keen to take the cleanliness criteria from present 61.58% to 100%.
Gujarat former Chief Minis ter Anandiben Patel lauded Prime Minister's relentless efforts as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, initiating a number of women-centric campaigns, for 13 years to make it a Model State.•
GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES
PRIME MINISTER IN GUJARAT:
A SPECIAL MESSAGE FOR WOMEN'S DAYby Shraddha Gidwani
6 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 7
OF
GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES
A SAFE, EMPOWERED AND EQUAL SOCIETY
Women Empowerment is one of the prime goals in the e i g h t M i l l e n n i u m
Development Goals. This underscores t he f ac t t ha t t he founda t ion o f development of a nat ion l ies in empowering the women. In order to achieve the status of a developed country, each and every state of India needs to transform its colossal women force into effective human resource and this is possible only through the empowerment of women.
Empowering women to participate fully in economic life across all sectors is essential to building stronger economies, achieve internationally agreed goals for development and sustainability, and improve the quality of life for women, men, families, and communities and the nation as a whole.
The state of Gujarat has been a leader in
their effort to emancipate women, ensure
equal opportunity and maintain a safe
environment for women to prosper.
Gujarat is one of the few states in the
country to have a dedicated system of
g o v e r n a n c e , p l a n n i n g a n d
implementation in this area. Various
campaigns such as Abhayam 181, Nari
A d a l a t a n d I n t e g r a t e d D a i r y
Development Programme have been
successful in lifting the status of the
women in all aspects of life. Apart from
that, reservations for women in the Police
Department and Panchayats have also
been very instrumental in the same. These
days we also find more women as bus
ticket collectors, driving vans for school
children, showing able leadership
qualities as Sarpanch of the villages and
Police officers etc.
Abhayam:
The GVK EMRI in association with
Government of Gujarat launched a
dedicated helpline called the ‘Abhayam-
181’ for all the women in the state on 4th
February, 2014. The helpline, launched in
collaboration with the home and women
and child welfare departments, had been
synchronized with the existing "1091 -
Gujarat Police Helpline" and other
women-oriented services. Initially, the
project had been launched on a pilot basis
in Ahmedabad, Surat and Gandhinagar.
The programme had been implemented
state wide on 5th March, 2015 covering
all the districts of the state.
This initiative by the State Government
was one of its kinds towards Women
E m p o w e r m e n t w h i c h h a s b e e n
instrumental in adding value to the life of
the common people. The programme has
a 24x7 helpline number, 181, which can
be accessible through any mobile or
landline. It is not just used for distress
calls but also for the purpose of
counseling, guidance and various other
situations which are likely to cause harm
to women. Since its inception, this
noteworthy initiative has been effective
in uplifting the status of women in the
state and thereby boosting their overall
personality and confidence. This
programme has been like a blessing for
women across the country. It is not a
state-specific initiative and helps the
women in need from other states as well.
Recently, a ten year old girl child in
Vadodara was rescued from distress by
the team of Abhayam. She was being
forced into child labour by her father and
even faced physical abuse from him upon
not being able to carry out street sales.
The accused father was reported to the
police and the girl child was freed from
her agony.
Numerous other examples can be sited
to talk about the successful output of this
programme which is gaining a full-
fledged momentum day by day thereby
helping the women in an overall growth
and development in the various aspects of
their personal and professional life.
IDDP: Integrated Dairy Development
Programme
One of the major aims of this program
is to transform dairying into a dynamic
income generating enterprise for the BPL
tribal household families so that they no
longer have to do petty jobs here and there
and can earn enough to feed their family
and contribute to the GDP of the state and
the nation as a whole. The Tribal
Development Department envisaged the
income of the BPL families in order to
bring them out of poverty permanently.
The IDDP started in 2007 and covered 12
districts of the state namely:
Ÿ Banaskantha (Danta, Amirgadh)
Ÿ S a b a r k a n t h a ( K h e d b r a h m a ,
Vijaynagar, Poshina)
Ÿ Panchmahal (Ghoghamba)
Ÿ Dahod (Devgadbariya, Zalod, Dahod,
Fatepura, Limkheda, Dhanpur,
Garbada)
Ÿ Vadodara (Kawant, Chhotaudepur,
Naswadi, JetpurPavi, Tilakwada)
Ÿ Narmada (Dediyapada, Saagbara,
Nandod, Tilakwada)
Ÿ Bharuch (Wal iya , Jhagad iya ,
Netrang)
Ÿ Surat (Mandvi, Mahua, Umarpada,
Mangrol, Bardoli)
Ÿ Tapi (Valod, Vyara, Uchhal, Nizar,
Songadh)
Ÿ Navsari (Vansda, Chikhali)
Ÿ Valsad (Kaprada, Dharampur,
Umargam, Pardi)
Ÿ Dangs (Ahwa, Subir, Waghai)
Ÿ Araval l i (Bhi loda , Meghara j ,
Modasa)
Ÿ Mahisagar (Santrampur, Kadana)
This project is being implemented by
seven district cooperative unions of the
state. Apart from milch cattle, complete
packages of support inputs are also
provided to the beneficiaries under this
project. The participatory groups can
also avail loan facility so that they do not
have to reach out to other expansive
sources of credit which might lead to their
exploitation and get them in a debt trap.
Moreover, the government is also
laying an equal emphasis on training and
awareness generation in order to ensure
that the participants use and follow the
latest scientific practices in order to
maximise the i r mi lk y ie ld . The
administration has developed a 'Gain to
all' strategy as an integral part of this
project which ensures that the economic
conditions of the participating families
improve and the dairy co-operatives also
gain through better infrastructure and
increased milk availability at no extra
cost. For the primitive tribal groups,
IDDP has reached out to 2,895 families in
Songadh and Mandvi tribal sub-plan
areas through a special project cost of Rs.
34.08cr. wherein they received high
quality exotic cattle for optimum yields.
Nari Adalat:
In order to safeguard the women and
their rights and uplift the status of women
in the social, economic and educational
sector, the Nari Adalat had been started in
2012-13 in the state of Gujarat. Since its
inception, the project has spread to 248
talukas of the state and 22 Municipal
corporations and city corporations; the
total establishment being 270 in the state.
This scheme started because the
government realised that it is of prime
importance to ensure the growth of
women and to take care of their safety in
the state. Also, in a patriarchal system,
they wanted to give women a platform
wherein they can freely express their
concerns and issues which can be paid
attention to for a quicker solution of the
same. These services are being provided
to the women without any financial costs
involved. 'Nari Sammelans' are being
organised at the taluka level through the
help of the district level panchayats in
order to make the women aware about
their rights and give them the much
needed support in order to improve their
condition. A total of 153 Nari Sammelans
have been organised till January 2017.
Gender Budget – 2017 :
A total of Rs. 56,491.89 crores has been
allocated to the Women and Child
Development for the year 2017-18. There
has been a 15% increase in the monthly
remuneration for the Aanganwadi
Workers and the government will bear an
addi t ional cost of Rs.65 crores .
Provisions for improvement in health and
nutrition status of 5, 52,800 pregnant and
lactating women have been made through
financial assistance of Rs. 6000 at the
time of child birth under Matrutva
Sahayog Yojana. Moreover, provision of
milk for 13 lakh children and women of
102 blocks of 20 districts under the
Doodh Sanjeevani Yojana have been
done. Apart from that , the State
Government has ensured a life insurance
cover of Rs . 50 ,000 for 93 ,259
Aanganwadi workers and helpers.•
by Team ‘the GUJARAT’
8 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 9
OF
GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES
A SAFE, EMPOWERED AND EQUAL SOCIETY
Women Empowerment is one of the prime goals in the e i g h t M i l l e n n i u m
Development Goals. This underscores t he f ac t t ha t t he founda t ion o f development of a nat ion l ies in empowering the women. In order to achieve the status of a developed country, each and every state of India needs to transform its colossal women force into effective human resource and this is possible only through the empowerment of women.
Empowering women to participate fully in economic life across all sectors is essential to building stronger economies, achieve internationally agreed goals for development and sustainability, and improve the quality of life for women, men, families, and communities and the nation as a whole.
The state of Gujarat has been a leader in
their effort to emancipate women, ensure
equal opportunity and maintain a safe
environment for women to prosper.
Gujarat is one of the few states in the
country to have a dedicated system of
g o v e r n a n c e , p l a n n i n g a n d
implementation in this area. Various
campaigns such as Abhayam 181, Nari
A d a l a t a n d I n t e g r a t e d D a i r y
Development Programme have been
successful in lifting the status of the
women in all aspects of life. Apart from
that, reservations for women in the Police
Department and Panchayats have also
been very instrumental in the same. These
days we also find more women as bus
ticket collectors, driving vans for school
children, showing able leadership
qualities as Sarpanch of the villages and
Police officers etc.
Abhayam:
The GVK EMRI in association with
Government of Gujarat launched a
dedicated helpline called the ‘Abhayam-
181’ for all the women in the state on 4th
February, 2014. The helpline, launched in
collaboration with the home and women
and child welfare departments, had been
synchronized with the existing "1091 -
Gujarat Police Helpline" and other
women-oriented services. Initially, the
project had been launched on a pilot basis
in Ahmedabad, Surat and Gandhinagar.
The programme had been implemented
state wide on 5th March, 2015 covering
all the districts of the state.
This initiative by the State Government
was one of its kinds towards Women
E m p o w e r m e n t w h i c h h a s b e e n
instrumental in adding value to the life of
the common people. The programme has
a 24x7 helpline number, 181, which can
be accessible through any mobile or
landline. It is not just used for distress
calls but also for the purpose of
counseling, guidance and various other
situations which are likely to cause harm
to women. Since its inception, this
noteworthy initiative has been effective
in uplifting the status of women in the
state and thereby boosting their overall
personality and confidence. This
programme has been like a blessing for
women across the country. It is not a
state-specific initiative and helps the
women in need from other states as well.
Recently, a ten year old girl child in
Vadodara was rescued from distress by
the team of Abhayam. She was being
forced into child labour by her father and
even faced physical abuse from him upon
not being able to carry out street sales.
The accused father was reported to the
police and the girl child was freed from
her agony.
Numerous other examples can be sited
to talk about the successful output of this
programme which is gaining a full-
fledged momentum day by day thereby
helping the women in an overall growth
and development in the various aspects of
their personal and professional life.
IDDP: Integrated Dairy Development
Programme
One of the major aims of this program
is to transform dairying into a dynamic
income generating enterprise for the BPL
tribal household families so that they no
longer have to do petty jobs here and there
and can earn enough to feed their family
and contribute to the GDP of the state and
the nation as a whole. The Tribal
Development Department envisaged the
income of the BPL families in order to
bring them out of poverty permanently.
The IDDP started in 2007 and covered 12
districts of the state namely:
Ÿ Banaskantha (Danta, Amirgadh)
Ÿ S a b a r k a n t h a ( K h e d b r a h m a ,
Vijaynagar, Poshina)
Ÿ Panchmahal (Ghoghamba)
Ÿ Dahod (Devgadbariya, Zalod, Dahod,
Fatepura, Limkheda, Dhanpur,
Garbada)
Ÿ Vadodara (Kawant, Chhotaudepur,
Naswadi, JetpurPavi, Tilakwada)
Ÿ Narmada (Dediyapada, Saagbara,
Nandod, Tilakwada)
Ÿ Bharuch (Wal iya , Jhagad iya ,
Netrang)
Ÿ Surat (Mandvi, Mahua, Umarpada,
Mangrol, Bardoli)
Ÿ Tapi (Valod, Vyara, Uchhal, Nizar,
Songadh)
Ÿ Navsari (Vansda, Chikhali)
Ÿ Valsad (Kaprada, Dharampur,
Umargam, Pardi)
Ÿ Dangs (Ahwa, Subir, Waghai)
Ÿ Araval l i (Bhi loda , Meghara j ,
Modasa)
Ÿ Mahisagar (Santrampur, Kadana)
This project is being implemented by
seven district cooperative unions of the
state. Apart from milch cattle, complete
packages of support inputs are also
provided to the beneficiaries under this
project. The participatory groups can
also avail loan facility so that they do not
have to reach out to other expansive
sources of credit which might lead to their
exploitation and get them in a debt trap.
Moreover, the government is also
laying an equal emphasis on training and
awareness generation in order to ensure
that the participants use and follow the
latest scientific practices in order to
maximise the i r mi lk y ie ld . The
administration has developed a 'Gain to
all' strategy as an integral part of this
project which ensures that the economic
conditions of the participating families
improve and the dairy co-operatives also
gain through better infrastructure and
increased milk availability at no extra
cost. For the primitive tribal groups,
IDDP has reached out to 2,895 families in
Songadh and Mandvi tribal sub-plan
areas through a special project cost of Rs.
34.08cr. wherein they received high
quality exotic cattle for optimum yields.
Nari Adalat:
In order to safeguard the women and
their rights and uplift the status of women
in the social, economic and educational
sector, the Nari Adalat had been started in
2012-13 in the state of Gujarat. Since its
inception, the project has spread to 248
talukas of the state and 22 Municipal
corporations and city corporations; the
total establishment being 270 in the state.
This scheme started because the
government realised that it is of prime
importance to ensure the growth of
women and to take care of their safety in
the state. Also, in a patriarchal system,
they wanted to give women a platform
wherein they can freely express their
concerns and issues which can be paid
attention to for a quicker solution of the
same. These services are being provided
to the women without any financial costs
involved. 'Nari Sammelans' are being
organised at the taluka level through the
help of the district level panchayats in
order to make the women aware about
their rights and give them the much
needed support in order to improve their
condition. A total of 153 Nari Sammelans
have been organised till January 2017.
Gender Budget – 2017 :
A total of Rs. 56,491.89 crores has been
allocated to the Women and Child
Development for the year 2017-18. There
has been a 15% increase in the monthly
remuneration for the Aanganwadi
Workers and the government will bear an
addi t ional cost of Rs.65 crores .
Provisions for improvement in health and
nutrition status of 5, 52,800 pregnant and
lactating women have been made through
financial assistance of Rs. 6000 at the
time of child birth under Matrutva
Sahayog Yojana. Moreover, provision of
milk for 13 lakh children and women of
102 blocks of 20 districts under the
Doodh Sanjeevani Yojana have been
done. Apart from that , the State
Government has ensured a life insurance
cover of Rs . 50 ,000 for 93 ,259
Aanganwadi workers and helpers.•
by Team ‘the GUJARAT’
8 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 9
Gujarat is known as the leader in
developmental activities as
t h e s t a t e f o c u s e s o n
development in all spheres. Gujarat is
popular as the most industry-friendly
state owing to many factors including
r e sou rces , e l ec t r i c i t y, po l i c i e s ,
manpower, and transportation.
Taking this development journey
forward, Prime Minister of India
Narendra Modi, on his visit to Gujarat,
dedicated extra dosed four lane bridge
over river Narmada to nation in Bharuch
today. The bridge has been created with a
cost of Rs. 379 crore located on the
Ahmedabad – Mumbai national highway
and over river Narmada passing through
Bharuch. He also inaugurated the iconic
Bharuch bus port. The bus port will be
created on PPP basis in 21453 sq. mt.
area.
PM Modi expressed the commitment
of the Government towards development
o f t h e s t a t e a n d s a i d t h a t t h e
determination of India to become super-
power will be fulfilled through highway
to I-way. "My government has performed
progressive work in infrastructural
facilities through sustainable networks of
railway and roads. Now it is my vision to
provide world class facility to 2.50 lakh
rural areas of the nation by connecting
them with I-way of information
technology. As a part of this we already
have established I-way network in 68000
villages. Such important projects gives
new momentum in the development story
of the nation and state as well," he added.
The PM mentioned the all round
development of Sagarmala Project for the
coastal areas of nation and Bharanmala
Project for comprehensive development
of roads and with combination of both of
them to carve a port lead development
and said that as a result of integrated
network of the roads, cases of accidents
may reduce considerably.
Describing the ground breaking of Bus
stand as a step towards the development
of common man Mr. Modi said,
infrastructural facilities will reach to the
poorest person is the only aim of the
Government. In this context he clarified
that their Government policy aims to
provide houses to each and every person
till year 2022.
Lauding the slogan of “Narmade,
Sarvade” PM Modi said that for the
development of the nation Dream, Desire
and Ability is must. He expressed his
delight to dedicate the project to
transform the ancient city of Bharuch for
the well being of the people. During the
election campaign in Uttar Pradesh,
people were showing monument of
development work. Dahej is not only the
ornament of Bharuch but also of the
nation.
Narendra Modi said that if your vision
and intention are pure and perfect then
you can reach success. He even expressed
plan of the Central Government to
convert about eight State Highways in to
National Highways.
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani
termed the inauguration of Bharuch
Narmada Bridge and Opal Plant
inauguration as Triveni Sangam. He
expressed pleasure in the extra dosed
bridge built at the expense of Rs. 380
crore.
He also said that Prime Minister
Narendra Modi has fulfilled the desire of
bringing Narmada water to Kutch-
Saurashtra by permitting to install gates
on Narmada Dam in just 17 days. Gates of
Narmada Dam will be installed before
monsoon; this will realise the dream of
6.5 Gujaratis to see Narmada Dam full of
water.
CM Rupani said that the Prime
Minister has also cleared the way for
growth of Ankleshwar-Panoli and also
created new opportunities for new
industries and employment. Narendra
Modi-led Union Government has taken
many farmer-oriented decisions like
approval of groundnut oil export,
purchase of tur dal on MSP and efficient
prices to cotton growing farmers. Jetty is
also available for pilgrims coming for
Narmada Maiya Parikrma, he added.•
This is an inspiring journey of a
de termined woman who
decided to change the scenario
of her village. She made her village open
defecation free in spite of huge
geographical challenges, she is a great
fighter who proved that nothing is
impossible to achieve with strong
willpower.
Ramilaben is the secretary of Neha
Sakhi Mandal (Self Help Group) of
village Taparwada which is 60 km. from
the district headquarter of Tapi. Major
communities in this village are Scheduled
Caste and Scheduled Tribe, they are
depended on agriculture and cattle
keeping for their living.
Ramilaben changed the destiny of not
only her own village but nine surrounding
villages too. Along with her husband
Raisinhbhai Gamit who is a postman by
profession, she intervened in many social
development activities in her area. She is
the chairperson for village security
committee, and helps the police
department to curb bootlegging in her
village. She is supporting Forest
Department in conserving environment.
She makes many efforts to empower the
women of her village, she guided them to
join micro-finance activities and fulfill
their basic needs. These women saved
Rs. 1,00,000 and availing loans for their
children’s education, cattle rearing and
other livelihood activities.
When Ramilaben was oriented by
Taluka Panchayat about the impact of
open defecation practices, she decided to
make her village open defecation free.
Due to hilly terrain the main challenge
was the transportation and construction
materials and availability of trained
mason. She encouraged her self help
g roup members to t ake up th i s
challenging task for the sake of their
dignity and the safe future of their
children.
Her group started Rural Sanitation
Mart, transported the materials from
nearby town to village by themselves and
supplied the materials to beneficiaries.
The group also facilitated the mason
training for village women and group
members, who constructed toilets in
mission mode. For specially abled and
single women beneficiaries, they also
o ffe red Shramdaan . Th i s g roup
cons t ruc ted 312 to i l e t s i n n ine
surrounding villages, and proved that
there is no force equal to the strength of a
determined woman.
Her passion didn't stop here, she
decided to encourage the women of entire
Gujarat. Hence she shared her experience
with all rural women through SETCOM.
Now these women are planning to start an
RO plant to supply safe drinking water in
their village and earn for their families.
Unruffled in the face of hardship,
Ramilaben is a picture of grit and
determination. •
GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES
HIGH-WAY TO I-WAY:
TOWARDS A MODERN, NEW AGE GUJARAT
“Determination of India to become super-power will be
fulfilled through high-way to I-way: Needs dreams, desire and
ability for development of nation”
- Narendra Modi
Name : Ramilaben R. GamitDistrict : TapiTaluka : SonagarhVillage : TaparwadaStakeholder/s : Ramilaben R. Gamit,
SHG Member, Neha Sakhi Mandal
THERE IS NO FORCE LIKE
THE STRENGTH OF A DETERMINED WOMAN….
by Rahul Patel
by Surabhi Bose
Ramilaben and her group members are constructing toilet.
10 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 11
Gujarat is known as the leader in
developmental activities as
t h e s t a t e f o c u s e s o n
development in all spheres. Gujarat is
popular as the most industry-friendly
state owing to many factors including
r e sou rces , e l ec t r i c i t y, po l i c i e s ,
manpower, and transportation.
Taking this development journey
forward, Prime Minister of India
Narendra Modi, on his visit to Gujarat,
dedicated extra dosed four lane bridge
over river Narmada to nation in Bharuch
today. The bridge has been created with a
cost of Rs. 379 crore located on the
Ahmedabad – Mumbai national highway
and over river Narmada passing through
Bharuch. He also inaugurated the iconic
Bharuch bus port. The bus port will be
created on PPP basis in 21453 sq. mt.
area.
PM Modi expressed the commitment
of the Government towards development
o f t h e s t a t e a n d s a i d t h a t t h e
determination of India to become super-
power will be fulfilled through highway
to I-way. "My government has performed
progressive work in infrastructural
facilities through sustainable networks of
railway and roads. Now it is my vision to
provide world class facility to 2.50 lakh
rural areas of the nation by connecting
them with I-way of information
technology. As a part of this we already
have established I-way network in 68000
villages. Such important projects gives
new momentum in the development story
of the nation and state as well," he added.
The PM mentioned the all round
development of Sagarmala Project for the
coastal areas of nation and Bharanmala
Project for comprehensive development
of roads and with combination of both of
them to carve a port lead development
and said that as a result of integrated
network of the roads, cases of accidents
may reduce considerably.
Describing the ground breaking of Bus
stand as a step towards the development
of common man Mr. Modi said,
infrastructural facilities will reach to the
poorest person is the only aim of the
Government. In this context he clarified
that their Government policy aims to
provide houses to each and every person
till year 2022.
Lauding the slogan of “Narmade,
Sarvade” PM Modi said that for the
development of the nation Dream, Desire
and Ability is must. He expressed his
delight to dedicate the project to
transform the ancient city of Bharuch for
the well being of the people. During the
election campaign in Uttar Pradesh,
people were showing monument of
development work. Dahej is not only the
ornament of Bharuch but also of the
nation.
Narendra Modi said that if your vision
and intention are pure and perfect then
you can reach success. He even expressed
plan of the Central Government to
convert about eight State Highways in to
National Highways.
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani
termed the inauguration of Bharuch
Narmada Bridge and Opal Plant
inauguration as Triveni Sangam. He
expressed pleasure in the extra dosed
bridge built at the expense of Rs. 380
crore.
He also said that Prime Minister
Narendra Modi has fulfilled the desire of
bringing Narmada water to Kutch-
Saurashtra by permitting to install gates
on Narmada Dam in just 17 days. Gates of
Narmada Dam will be installed before
monsoon; this will realise the dream of
6.5 Gujaratis to see Narmada Dam full of
water.
CM Rupani said that the Prime
Minister has also cleared the way for
growth of Ankleshwar-Panoli and also
created new opportunities for new
industries and employment. Narendra
Modi-led Union Government has taken
many farmer-oriented decisions like
approval of groundnut oil export,
purchase of tur dal on MSP and efficient
prices to cotton growing farmers. Jetty is
also available for pilgrims coming for
Narmada Maiya Parikrma, he added.•
This is an inspiring journey of a
de termined woman who
decided to change the scenario
of her village. She made her village open
defecation free in spite of huge
geographical challenges, she is a great
fighter who proved that nothing is
impossible to achieve with strong
willpower.
Ramilaben is the secretary of Neha
Sakhi Mandal (Self Help Group) of
village Taparwada which is 60 km. from
the district headquarter of Tapi. Major
communities in this village are Scheduled
Caste and Scheduled Tribe, they are
depended on agriculture and cattle
keeping for their living.
Ramilaben changed the destiny of not
only her own village but nine surrounding
villages too. Along with her husband
Raisinhbhai Gamit who is a postman by
profession, she intervened in many social
development activities in her area. She is
the chairperson for village security
committee, and helps the police
department to curb bootlegging in her
village. She is supporting Forest
Department in conserving environment.
She makes many efforts to empower the
women of her village, she guided them to
join micro-finance activities and fulfill
their basic needs. These women saved
Rs. 1,00,000 and availing loans for their
children’s education, cattle rearing and
other livelihood activities.
When Ramilaben was oriented by
Taluka Panchayat about the impact of
open defecation practices, she decided to
make her village open defecation free.
Due to hilly terrain the main challenge
was the transportation and construction
materials and availability of trained
mason. She encouraged her self help
g roup members to t ake up th i s
challenging task for the sake of their
dignity and the safe future of their
children.
Her group started Rural Sanitation
Mart, transported the materials from
nearby town to village by themselves and
supplied the materials to beneficiaries.
The group also facilitated the mason
training for village women and group
members, who constructed toilets in
mission mode. For specially abled and
single women beneficiaries, they also
o ffe red Shramdaan . Th i s g roup
cons t ruc ted 312 to i l e t s i n n ine
surrounding villages, and proved that
there is no force equal to the strength of a
determined woman.
Her passion didn't stop here, she
decided to encourage the women of entire
Gujarat. Hence she shared her experience
with all rural women through SETCOM.
Now these women are planning to start an
RO plant to supply safe drinking water in
their village and earn for their families.
Unruffled in the face of hardship,
Ramilaben is a picture of grit and
determination. •
GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES
HIGH-WAY TO I-WAY:
TOWARDS A MODERN, NEW AGE GUJARAT
“Determination of India to become super-power will be
fulfilled through high-way to I-way: Needs dreams, desire and
ability for development of nation”
- Narendra Modi
Name : Ramilaben R. GamitDistrict : TapiTaluka : SonagarhVillage : TaparwadaStakeholder/s : Ramilaben R. Gamit,
SHG Member, Neha Sakhi Mandal
THERE IS NO FORCE LIKE
THE STRENGTH OF A DETERMINED WOMAN….
by Rahul Patel
by Surabhi Bose
Ramilaben and her group members are constructing toilet.
10 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 11
In the last few years, Gujarat has been the guiding light for the rest of the country in implementing e-
governance policies. For the State government, the driving force behind many of its successful initiatives has been the twin ideas of 'Good governance through e-governance' and 'Minimum government, Maximum Governance'. Through this pol icy the Gujarat Government managed to achieve significant firsts, such as connecting the 32 villages of the Khedbrahma taluka with high-speed internet connectivity, and making the entire district of Modasa Wi-fi enabled. The Government's policies also led to the creation of the first fully digital village of Akodara, in the district of Himmatnagar.
On February 13, 2017, the Gujarat Narmada Va l ley Fer t i l i ze r s and Chemicals Limited (GNFC), took its digital infrastructure to the next level by announcing the launch of India's first 100% Cashless Township at Bharuch. GNFC is a joint sector enterprise promoted by the Government of Gujarat and the Gujarat State Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd and was setup in Bharuch, in 1976. The township was formally launched by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani
and present alongside him was Union Minister of Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya.
This integrated township has a population of 5000, and a floating population of 10,000 every day. It also includes facilities such as a large Shopping centre, restaurants, eateries, schools and colleges, hospital, stadium and guest houses. All transactions in the town are carried out through cashless means, for example Paan Shops, laundry shops and cycle repair shops, carry out transactions through PoS (Point of Sale) machines. These shops also utilise e-wallet services such as BHIM, UPI, SBI buddy, etc. It is also worth noting that even during the construction of the township, trucks carrying raw material
and taking back finished products like fertilizers and chemicals, were mandated by GNFC to use post fast/debit cards for payment of Toll Tax.
In recognition of this achievement, the NITI Ayog has decided to adopt the GNFC's model in other parts of the country. NITI Ayog has decided that a massive campaign shall be launched from March 1, 2017 for 2 months to make the integrated Townships of oil refineries, m a j o r i n d u s t r i e s , c a n t o n m e n t s , paramilitary forces and fertilizer companies totalling over 1,000 with a population of a few Crores to go 100% cashless.
In addition, CM Rupani has stated that following the success of the GNFC model, the Gujarat Government will now begin work on adopting its model in 180 other townships across the state. These will be townships with a population of 5 lakhs, 35 are located within the Bharuch district. The Chief Minister also congratulated the GNFC management, as well as the continuous co-operation and hard work of the township's residents particularly its women and its small business units, in order to achieve 100% cashless transactions. CM Rupani stated that it would serve as a source of pride and inspiration for both Gujarat and the nation as a whole. •
Gujarat has been known for the
entrepreneurial spirit of the
local people and enthusiasm
to rise as the best. This has made Gujarat a
na t iona l leader in job crea t ion .
Organisation of mega investment
promotional events like the Vibrant
Gujarat Global Summit by the State
Government and presence of a wide
network of Employment Exchanges all
over the state to facilitate job-seekers has
enabled the state to achieve this success.
Taking another step towards further
consolidating its position, the Gujarat
Government organised a Mega Job Fair at
12 clusters across the state from 11th to
17th February, 2017.
The decision to organise the Mega Job
Fair was taken at a high- level meeting of
Labour and Employment Department
which was chaired by the Chief Minister
of Gujarat, Vijay Rupani. The meeting
was also attended by the Deputy Chief
Minister, Nitin Patel. Outlining the shape
of the Mega Job Fair during the meeting,
CM Rupani said that State Cabinet
Ministers and higher authorities will be
present at the Job Fairs organised to
ensure employment of local youth
through a transparent system. He added
that the State Government will provide
employment opportunities in industrial
clusters and also in GIDC to youth
through the job fair. According to the
latest employment exchange figures,
Gujarat provided the maximum number
(86%) of jobs in the country followed by
Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. The state
also leads in providing employment to
Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes
(ST) and women. Gujarat has a wide
network of 48 employment exchanges
present in each district with special
exchanges at eight universities, five for
SC/ST and two for women.
As a result of the state government's
efforts in the past three years alone, more
than 13 lakh unemployed people got
employed through Jobs Fairs and
exchanges. These include 1.08 lakh SC,
78,000 ST, 2.86 lakh OBC candidates and
1.69 lakh women candidates.
The recent Job Fair this month received
an overwhelming response from both the
job seekers and employers. As many as
2184 employers registered at the Job Fair
to seek prospective employees for
1,43,942 vacancies. These included
many renowned Indian and multinational
companies as well as various government
d e p a r t m e n t s , G I D C a n d s o m e
educational institutions.
Major Employers were L.&T., Lee,
Ford India Ltd., Suzuki Motor Gujarat
Pvt Ltd, Honda Motors, Tata Motors,
Vodafone, Pepsi Co India Holdings Pvt
Ltd, Adani Power Ltd., Essar Power,
Reliance Industries, Welspun India Ltd.,
Arvind Mills, Sanghi cement, Ambuja
Cement, Eureka Forbes Ltd., Torrent
Power, Tata Chemicals, Sintex Pvt Ltd
and Aegis Limited.
The fair attempted to ensure that all the
participating employers find their
required manpower and about 85% of the
local youth desirous of employment are
covered. This was successfully achieved
as 1,09,520 youth, 88,503 male and
2 1 , 0 1 7 f e m a l e , w e r e p r o v i d e d
employment during the Mega Fair. A fair
proportion of the employed youth
belonged to SC/ST and social ly
backward sections of the society. Among
these 144 Divyangs were also provided
employment.
Around 56,742 candidates have been
selected in manufacturing sector, 52,778
in Service sector and 5,555 candidates
have been selected as Apprentice in
Municipalities, public enterprises
/industrial and commercial units.
The Mega Job Fair was organised in a
phased manner at 12 locations across the
s ta te cover ing 33 d is t r ic ts . The
government made sure that the fair was
conducted in a hassle free manner and
that no inconvenience was faced by the
participants. ST bus coupon, local bus
service and food packet were arranged by
the State Government. CM of Gujarat,
Vijay Rupani suggested at the meeting
preceding the Job Fa i r tha t the
employment portal should be used for
r e g i s t r a t i o n o f y o u t h s e e k i n g
employment. The CM also suggested that
Gujarat can set a model for the entire
country by providing employment to
youth by integrating data of private,
s e m i - g o v e r n m e n t , P S U s a n d
employment exchanges. •
GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES
MEGA JOB FAIR:
EMPLOYMENT FOR ALLGUJARAT WELCOMES
FIRST FULLY CASHLESS AND DIGITALLY INTEGRATED TOWNSHIP AT BHARUCH by Team ‘the GUJARAT’
by Lenin Samuel
12 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 13
In the last few years, Gujarat has been the guiding light for the rest of the country in implementing e-
governance policies. For the State government, the driving force behind many of its successful initiatives has been the twin ideas of 'Good governance through e-governance' and 'Minimum government, Maximum Governance'. Through this pol icy the Gujarat Government managed to achieve significant firsts, such as connecting the 32 villages of the Khedbrahma taluka with high-speed internet connectivity, and making the entire district of Modasa Wi-fi enabled. The Government's policies also led to the creation of the first fully digital village of Akodara, in the district of Himmatnagar.
On February 13, 2017, the Gujarat Narmada Va l ley Fer t i l i ze r s and Chemicals Limited (GNFC), took its digital infrastructure to the next level by announcing the launch of India's first 100% Cashless Township at Bharuch. GNFC is a joint sector enterprise promoted by the Government of Gujarat and the Gujarat State Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd and was setup in Bharuch, in 1976. The township was formally launched by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani
and present alongside him was Union Minister of Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya.
This integrated township has a population of 5000, and a floating population of 10,000 every day. It also includes facilities such as a large Shopping centre, restaurants, eateries, schools and colleges, hospital, stadium and guest houses. All transactions in the town are carried out through cashless means, for example Paan Shops, laundry shops and cycle repair shops, carry out transactions through PoS (Point of Sale) machines. These shops also utilise e-wallet services such as BHIM, UPI, SBI buddy, etc. It is also worth noting that even during the construction of the township, trucks carrying raw material
and taking back finished products like fertilizers and chemicals, were mandated by GNFC to use post fast/debit cards for payment of Toll Tax.
In recognition of this achievement, the NITI Ayog has decided to adopt the GNFC's model in other parts of the country. NITI Ayog has decided that a massive campaign shall be launched from March 1, 2017 for 2 months to make the integrated Townships of oil refineries, m a j o r i n d u s t r i e s , c a n t o n m e n t s , paramilitary forces and fertilizer companies totalling over 1,000 with a population of a few Crores to go 100% cashless.
In addition, CM Rupani has stated that following the success of the GNFC model, the Gujarat Government will now begin work on adopting its model in 180 other townships across the state. These will be townships with a population of 5 lakhs, 35 are located within the Bharuch district. The Chief Minister also congratulated the GNFC management, as well as the continuous co-operation and hard work of the township's residents particularly its women and its small business units, in order to achieve 100% cashless transactions. CM Rupani stated that it would serve as a source of pride and inspiration for both Gujarat and the nation as a whole. •
Gujarat has been known for the
entrepreneurial spirit of the
local people and enthusiasm
to rise as the best. This has made Gujarat a
na t iona l leader in job c rea t ion .
Organisation of mega investment
promotional events like the Vibrant
Gujarat Global Summit by the State
Government and presence of a wide
network of Employment Exchanges all
over the state to facilitate job-seekers has
enabled the state to achieve this success.
Taking another step towards further
consolidating its position, the Gujarat
Government organised a Mega Job Fair at
12 clusters across the state from 11th to
17th February, 2017.
The decision to organise the Mega Job
Fair was taken at a high- level meeting of
Labour and Employment Department
which was chaired by the Chief Minister
of Gujarat, Vijay Rupani. The meeting
was also attended by the Deputy Chief
Minister, Nitin Patel. Outlining the shape
of the Mega Job Fair during the meeting,
CM Rupani said that State Cabinet
Ministers and higher authorities will be
present at the Job Fairs organised to
ensure employment of local youth
through a transparent system. He added
that the State Government will provide
employment opportunities in industrial
clusters and also in GIDC to youth
through the job fair. According to the
latest employment exchange figures,
Gujarat provided the maximum number
(86%) of jobs in the country followed by
Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. The state
also leads in providing employment to
Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes
(ST) and women. Gujarat has a wide
network of 48 employment exchanges
present in each district with special
exchanges at eight universities, five for
SC/ST and two for women.
As a result of the state government's
efforts in the past three years alone, more
than 13 lakh unemployed people got
employed through Jobs Fairs and
exchanges. These include 1.08 lakh SC,
78,000 ST, 2.86 lakh OBC candidates and
1.69 lakh women candidates.
The recent Job Fair this month received
an overwhelming response from both the
job seekers and employers. As many as
2184 employers registered at the Job Fair
to seek prospective employees for
1,43,942 vacancies. These included
many renowned Indian and multinational
companies as well as various government
d e p a r t m e n t s , G I D C a n d s o m e
educational institutions.
Major Employers were L.&T., Lee,
Ford India Ltd., Suzuki Motor Gujarat
Pvt Ltd, Honda Motors, Tata Motors,
Vodafone, Pepsi Co India Holdings Pvt
Ltd, Adani Power Ltd., Essar Power,
Reliance Industries, Welspun India Ltd.,
Arvind Mills, Sanghi cement, Ambuja
Cement, Eureka Forbes Ltd., Torrent
Power, Tata Chemicals, Sintex Pvt Ltd
and Aegis Limited.
The fair attempted to ensure that all the
participating employers find their
required manpower and about 85% of the
local youth desirous of employment are
covered. This was successfully achieved
as 1,09,520 youth, 88,503 male and
2 1 , 0 1 7 f e m a l e , w e r e p r o v i d e d
employment during the Mega Fair. A fair
proportion of the employed youth
belonged to SC/ST and social ly
backward sections of the society. Among
these 144 Divyangs were also provided
employment.
Around 56,742 candidates have been
selected in manufacturing sector, 52,778
in Service sector and 5,555 candidates
have been selected as Apprentice in
Municipalities, public enterprises
/industrial and commercial units.
The Mega Job Fair was organised in a
phased manner at 12 locations across the
s ta te cover ing 33 d is t r ic ts . The
government made sure that the fair was
conducted in a hassle free manner and
that no inconvenience was faced by the
participants. ST bus coupon, local bus
service and food packet were arranged by
the State Government. CM of Gujarat,
Vijay Rupani suggested at the meeting
preceding the Job Fa i r tha t the
employment portal should be used for
r e g i s t r a t i o n o f y o u t h s e e k i n g
employment. The CM also suggested that
Gujarat can set a model for the entire
country by providing employment to
youth by integrating data of private,
s e m i - g o v e r n m e n t , P S U s a n d
employment exchanges. •
GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES
MEGA JOB FAIR:
EMPLOYMENT FOR ALLGUJARAT WELCOMES
FIRST FULLY CASHLESS AND DIGITALLY INTEGRATED TOWNSHIP AT BHARUCH by Team ‘the GUJARAT’
by Lenin Samuel
12 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 13
Gujarat has stood as an inspiring role model for development till the last mile. Ensuring that
all the sections of the society receive equal benefits, be it in the remotest areas of the state, has been the focus of the government initiatives in Gujarat.
A major focus area of the Gujarat government has been the empowerment and overall development of its tribal populace. On January 19, 2017, the State Government took a major step in this direction, through implementation of Rule-2017 of Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act. During the Van and Vanbandhu Kalyan Mela held at Chhota Udepur, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani announced the implementation of the act in 4,503 gram sabhas under 2,584 vi l lage panchayats , to cover 50 predominantly tribal talukas across 8 districts of the state.
The Panchayats (Extens ion to Scheduled Areas) Act or PESA was enacted in 1996 by the Government of India, to ensure self-governance for tribals through traditional Gram Sabhas for people living in Scheduled Areas of India.
Under the PESA act, the tribal communities were given significant benefits. This included allowing the Gram Sabhas to safeguard and preserve the customs, traditions and cultural identity of the people within the regions. But most significantly, through the act, the Government, attempted to provide greater control to tribal communities over resources, particularly minor forest produce a significant source of income for tribal communities. Despite the benefits of the act, it was identified that some changes in the Act were necessary to implement the provisions of PESA within the various states. A particular source of contention was the provision
providing control over minor forest produce, which remained under state control.
Through the implementation of Rule-2017, Gujarat becomes amongst the first to have changed this scenario. Through the new rule, tribal people living in forest areas will now have control over any minor forest produce and minor minerals, providing them with a source of income, to develop the region. Through this new provision, Gram Sabhas within tribal areas would be able to fix loan interests and thus eliminate the authority that the money-lenders have within these regions. The government will also provide separate security forces for them and be able to lease quarries to them.
Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijay Rupani is a strong believer in sensitivity as a pillar for good governance. In a span of less than a year as the Chief Minister he won the hearts of many as a sensitive and progressive leader. With the best interest
of the tribal population, he announced the implementation of the new PESA Act. In his address, CM Rupani stated, “The forest and its products are synonymous with the life of the tribal. This new initiative will herald a golden age for tribal development within the state, and prove to be the sunrise for the tribal people.”
During the event, the Chief Minister proposed various development initiatives for tribal regions including starting a medical colleges within the regions, with a hope that doctors, engineers and scientists from tribal regions would be able to contribute to the development of the state.
Gujarat has laid a strong foundation of inclusive development in the past decade and a half under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The state has undertaken numerous initiatives in the past for the upliftment of its tribal populace. One of the most significant is the Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana (VKY), also known as the Chief Minister's 10 point programme. Launched in 2007, under the "Inclusive Development" vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the programme had 10 key focus areas which included the following:-
Employment
This initiative aimed to double the income of tribal families, with special f o c u s o n m i g r a n t f a m i l i e s a n d particularly vulnerable tribal groups by providing employment to 5 lakh families.
Education
The programme aimed at access to quality education for every eligible tribal child and increased emphasis on higher education.
Economic Development
The vision behind this initiative was to double the income of all tribal families including migrant tribal families and particularly vulnerable tribal groups, and facilitate economic growth in villages by providing basic facilities such as roads and energy network.
Health
The Government has identified 3 key areas to improve. These include providing accessibility of medical services, combating endemic diseases and reducing the level of malnutrition.
Housing
Providing housing facilities for all tribal communities has been most significant initiative of the state. Housing development initiative is undertaken in collaboration with Tribal development depar tmen t , Rura l deve lopment department and Panchayat department.
Drinking Water
Providing water supply, which is the most basic necessity, to the doorstep of every tribal household has been the focus of the state.
Irrigation
Agriculture is the only livelihood for a majority of tribals. In this scenario it becomes important for the state to facilitate the tribal farmers in their needs. It was identified that improving irrigation facilities will significantly improve their conditions.
Universal Electrification
Gujarat has been steadfast in providing quality power supply to all tribal areas for accelerated socio-economic development of tribal communities.
All-Weather Road Connectivity
With a vision to provide connectivity to all villages by all-weather roads, and improve the quality of life in tribal areas, in terms of quick access to health services, better education, social services, the state government launched this programme.
Urban Development
The state government aimed to develop tribal towns as growth engines to augment the income of tribal farmers.
Vanbandhu kalyan Yojana is focused on the integrated, holistic and inclusive development of tribal communities in areas related to livelihood, education, health, housing, drinking water, irrigation and access to basic facilities. Since its inception, this initiative has achieved doubled the income of 8 Lakh tribal families, against a target of 5 lakh families.
It has also reduced the literacy gap between Scheduled tribes population and the rest of the State from 21.4% in 2001 to 15.5% in 2011. The initiative has provided market for traditional products through Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs). Screening for sickle-cell anaemia was conducted amongst 83.73 Lakh Tribal people and annual health check-up was conducted for 76.99 Lakh people.
The state provided housing for 4.5 Lakh people and safe drinking water facilities for 100% tribal households through this scheme. Availability of tap water has also been increased from 3.9% in 2001 to 56% (8.5 Lakh families) households.
Gujarat has inspired the Nation at large with the vision of development and the pace of progress in the state. Today, vanbandhu kalyan Yojana has been included as a Central Sector Scheme in the Annual Plan of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.•
GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES
PESA Act: Gujarat changes the scenario of Tribal empowerment
by Jenny Mansuria
14 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 15
Gujarat has stood as an inspiring role model for development till the last mile. Ensuring that
all the sections of the society receive equal benefits, be it in the remotest areas of the state, has been the focus of the government initiatives in Gujarat.
A major focus area of the Gujarat government has been the empowerment and overall development of its tribal populace. On January 19, 2017, the State Government took a major step in this direction, through implementation of Rule-2017 of Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act. During the Van and Vanbandhu Kalyan Mela held at Chhota Udepur, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani announced the implementation of the act in 4,503 gram sabhas under 2,584 vi l lage panchayats , to cover 50 predominantly tribal talukas across 8 districts of the state.
The Panchayats (Extens ion to Scheduled Areas) Act or PESA was enacted in 1996 by the Government of India, to ensure self-governance for tribals through traditional Gram Sabhas for people living in Scheduled Areas of India.
Under the PESA act, the tribal communities were given significant benefits. This included allowing the Gram Sabhas to safeguard and preserve the customs, traditions and cultural identity of the people within the regions. But most significantly, through the act, the Government, attempted to provide greater control to tribal communities over resources, particularly minor forest produce a significant source of income for tribal communities. Despite the benefits of the act, it was identified that some changes in the Act were necessary to implement the provisions of PESA within the various states. A particular source of contention was the provision
providing control over minor forest produce, which remained under state control.
Through the implementation of Rule-2017, Gujarat becomes amongst the first to have changed this scenario. Through the new rule, tribal people living in forest areas will now have control over any minor forest produce and minor minerals, providing them with a source of income, to develop the region. Through this new provision, Gram Sabhas within tribal areas would be able to fix loan interests and thus eliminate the authority that the money-lenders have within these regions. The government will also provide separate security forces for them and be able to lease quarries to them.
Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijay Rupani is a strong believer in sensitivity as a pillar for good governance. In a span of less than a year as the Chief Minister he won the hearts of many as a sensitive and progressive leader. With the best interest
of the tribal population, he announced the implementation of the new PESA Act. In his address, CM Rupani stated, “The forest and its products are synonymous with the life of the tribal. This new initiative will herald a golden age for tribal development within the state, and prove to be the sunrise for the tribal people.”
During the event, the Chief Minister proposed various development initiatives for tribal regions including starting a medical colleges within the regions, with a hope that doctors, engineers and scientists from tribal regions would be able to contribute to the development of the state.
Gujarat has laid a strong foundation of inclusive development in the past decade and a half under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The state has undertaken numerous initiatives in the past for the upliftment of its tribal populace. One of the most significant is the Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana (VKY), also known as the Chief Minister's 10 point programme. Launched in 2007, under the "Inclusive Development" vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the programme had 10 key focus areas which included the following:-
Employment
This initiative aimed to double the income of tribal families, with special f o c u s o n m i g r a n t f a m i l i e s a n d particularly vulnerable tribal groups by providing employment to 5 lakh families.
Education
The programme aimed at access to quality education for every eligible tribal child and increased emphasis on higher education.
Economic Development
The vision behind this initiative was to double the income of all tribal families including migrant tribal families and particularly vulnerable tribal groups, and facilitate economic growth in villages by providing basic facilities such as roads and energy network.
Health
The Government has identified 3 key areas to improve. These include providing accessibility of medical services, combating endemic diseases and reducing the level of malnutrition.
Housing
Providing housing facilities for all tribal communities has been most significant initiative of the state. Housing development initiative is undertaken in collaboration with Tribal development depar tmen t , Rura l deve lopment department and Panchayat department.
Drinking Water
Providing water supply, which is the most basic necessity, to the doorstep of every tribal household has been the focus of the state.
Irrigation
Agriculture is the only livelihood for a majority of tribals. In this scenario it becomes important for the state to facilitate the tribal farmers in their needs. It was identified that improving irrigation facilities will significantly improve their conditions.
Universal Electrification
Gujarat has been steadfast in providing quality power supply to all tribal areas for accelerated socio-economic development of tribal communities.
All-Weather Road Connectivity
With a vision to provide connectivity to all villages by all-weather roads, and improve the quality of life in tribal areas, in terms of quick access to health services, better education, social services, the state government launched this programme.
Urban Development
The state government aimed to develop tribal towns as growth engines to augment the income of tribal farmers.
Vanbandhu kalyan Yojana is focused on the integrated, holistic and inclusive development of tribal communities in areas related to livelihood, education, health, housing, drinking water, irrigation and access to basic facilities. Since its inception, this initiative has achieved doubled the income of 8 Lakh tribal families, against a target of 5 lakh families.
It has also reduced the literacy gap between Scheduled tribes population and the rest of the State from 21.4% in 2001 to 15.5% in 2011. The initiative has provided market for traditional products through Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs). Screening for sickle-cell anaemia was conducted amongst 83.73 Lakh Tribal people and annual health check-up was conducted for 76.99 Lakh people.
The state provided housing for 4.5 Lakh people and safe drinking water facilities for 100% tribal households through this scheme. Availability of tap water has also been increased from 3.9% in 2001 to 56% (8.5 Lakh families) households.
Gujarat has inspired the Nation at large with the vision of development and the pace of progress in the state. Today, vanbandhu kalyan Yojana has been included as a Central Sector Scheme in the Annual Plan of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.•
GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES
PESA Act: Gujarat changes the scenario of Tribal empowerment
by Jenny Mansuria
14 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 15
Gujarat takes pride in being the
forerunner in developmental
activities in all spheres.
Gujarat has set a benchmark for others to
look up to, owing to the visionary
approach of the state government.
A new feather in the cap for Gujarat's
development saga is the ONGC Petro
addi t ions Limi ted (OPaL) Plant
inaugurated in Bharuch. Prime Minister
of India Narendra Modi dedicated South
Asia’s biggest OPaL Plant to the nation
from Dahej of Bharuch District. He said
that this plant has emerged and earned the
important place in SEZs of the world and
has created employment opportunities
for lakhs of youth residing across India.
This is the biggest success in the history
of India ever, he added.
PM Modi visited and observed the
whole plant from its control room
accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister
Vijay Rupani, Union Minister of Road
Transport and Highways and Shipping
Mr. Nitinbhai Gadkari, Union Minister of
State for Chemical and Fertilizer
Ministry Mr. Mansukhbhai Mandaviya
and officials of OPaL and ONGC. PM
Modi said that Dahej is as similar as a
small India itself and it gave an
opportunity to the people staying across
the nation.
Addressing to the investors at Dahej
PM Modi said that the entrepreneurship
of Gujaratis is being involved across the
globe and the nation as well. Dahej got an
o p p o r t u n i t y t o c o n v e r t t h e
entrepreneurship in to the result. Today
Dahej bags top-most position in 50 SEZs
of the world. Along with big bang debut
in industrial development of India, Dahej
b e c a m e t h e b i g g e s t c e n t e r i n
petrochemical sector across the world, he
added.
PM Modi said that the country’s
initiation in industrial sector has earned
remarkable fame. OPaL Plant of Dahej,
with Rs. 27,000 crore investments will
make important contribution to plastic
medical sector. PCPIR - Dahej has
established global identity in the field of
Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemical
investments. It is leading in to providing
employment to 1.25 lakh youths. Dahej
SEZ has attracted investment worth Rs.
40,000 crore and has capability to create
eight lakh employment opportunities.
Describing the organised development
for the first time in the nation, Mr. Modi
said that as per World Bank report, India
will be positioned in the top three
economic countries within 2018. India
was on 54th rank in year 2014 and has
come forward to 35th rank in year 2016.
He appreciated about “Make In India”
and said that India has become sixth
manufacturing country in the world and is
considered as fast developing country.
Gujarat state has flexible environment
and infrastructure facility for industrial
development. More than 400 projects
worth Rs. 8 lakh crore investments have
been aligned. While Railway, Port sector
will have Rs. 1 lakh crore projects. A
scheme of Kandla Development port is
being crafted. The Solar Project in
Gujarat is an example of new dimension,
he added.
Mentioning about huge investment in
Dahej, PM Modi said that Indian polymer
sector consumes 10 kg against world’s
average consumption of 32 kg. With the
development of Smart Cities the usage of
polymer will be increased. Contribution
of polymers in infrastructure, housing,
packaging, irrigation, automotive,
healthcare etc sectors will be significant.
OPaL’s partnership with Make In India
mission is 13% till 2018. Growth rate of
Petrochemical sector of India will rise by
12 to 15%.
N a r e n d r a M o d i s a i d t h a t t h e
Government has made amendment in
1948 Factory Act for class associated
with Industrial sector. A unique ID will be
given so that difficulty of getting
contribution will be redressed. Countries
across the world have welcomed the
decision of demonetization and the GDP
rate of India has risen. World Bank CEO
hailed the decision as a bold decision,
whose results will surely be positive, he
added.
The Prime Minister said that in the field
of industrial sector with the usage of new
technologies and development the
industrial atmosphere of Dahej has
become Eco- Friendly.
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani
said that Gujarat is leading in the field of
petrochemical. Dahej plant was initiated
by Prime Minister while he was Chief
Minister of Gujarat. Today Gujarat has
received fame in PCPIR field by
dedicating it to Industrial sector. It is the
first chemical plant with excellent
infrastructure facilities. Along with Make
In India, Gujarat will participate with a
vision of ‘Make In Gujarat’ for the
development of the nation. In year 2009-
10 OPaL has contributed 10 Million Tons,
in year 2016 it was 15 Million Tons. The
contribution of OPaL will be significant
in the development of smart city, he
added.
On the occasion, Chief Secretary Dr. J.
N. Singh, Managing Director of OPaL
Avinash Joshi, Chief Operating Officer of
OPaL Someya Chakravarti and investors
in huge numbers were remained present.•
GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES
OPaL PLANT: leading India to the top of the worldby Manas Mukul Yadav
16 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 17
Gujarat takes pride in being the
forerunner in developmental
activities in all spheres.
Gujarat has set a benchmark for others to
look up to, owing to the visionary
approach of the state government.
A new feather in the cap for Gujarat's
development saga is the ONGC Petro
addi t ions Limi ted (OPaL) Plant
inaugurated in Bharuch. Prime Minister
of India Narendra Modi dedicated South
Asia’s biggest OPaL Plant to the nation
from Dahej of Bharuch District. He said
that this plant has emerged and earned the
important place in SEZs of the world and
has created employment opportunities
for lakhs of youth residing across India.
This is the biggest success in the history
of India ever, he added.
PM Modi visited and observed the
whole plant from its control room
accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister
Vijay Rupani, Union Minister of Road
Transport and Highways and Shipping
Mr. Nitinbhai Gadkari, Union Minister of
State for Chemical and Fertilizer
Ministry Mr. Mansukhbhai Mandaviya
and officials of OPaL and ONGC. PM
Modi said that Dahej is as similar as a
small India itself and it gave an
opportunity to the people staying across
the nation.
Addressing to the investors at Dahej
PM Modi said that the entrepreneurship
of Gujaratis is being involved across the
globe and the nation as well. Dahej got an
o p p o r t u n i t y t o c o n v e r t t h e
entrepreneurship in to the result. Today
Dahej bags top-most position in 50 SEZs
of the world. Along with big bang debut
in industrial development of India, Dahej
b e c a m e t h e b i g g e s t c e n t e r i n
petrochemical sector across the world, he
added.
PM Modi said that the country’s
initiation in industrial sector has earned
remarkable fame. OPaL Plant of Dahej,
with Rs. 27,000 crore investments will
make important contribution to plastic
medical sector. PCPIR - Dahej has
established global identity in the field of
Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemical
investments. It is leading in to providing
employment to 1.25 lakh youths. Dahej
SEZ has attracted investment worth Rs.
40,000 crore and has capability to create
eight lakh employment opportunities.
Describing the organised development
for the first time in the nation, Mr. Modi
said that as per World Bank report, India
will be positioned in the top three
economic countries within 2018. India
was on 54th rank in year 2014 and has
come forward to 35th rank in year 2016.
He appreciated about “Make In India”
and said that India has become sixth
manufacturing country in the world and is
considered as fast developing country.
Gujarat state has flexible environment
and infrastructure facility for industrial
development. More than 400 projects
worth Rs. 8 lakh crore investments have
been aligned. While Railway, Port sector
will have Rs. 1 lakh crore projects. A
scheme of Kandla Development port is
being crafted. The Solar Project in
Gujarat is an example of new dimension,
he added.
Mentioning about huge investment in
Dahej, PM Modi said that Indian polymer
sector consumes 10 kg against world’s
average consumption of 32 kg. With the
development of Smart Cities the usage of
polymer will be increased. Contribution
of polymers in infrastructure, housing,
packaging, irrigation, automotive,
healthcare etc sectors will be significant.
OPaL’s partnership with Make In India
mission is 13% till 2018. Growth rate of
Petrochemical sector of India will rise by
12 to 15%.
N a r e n d r a M o d i s a i d t h a t t h e
Government has made amendment in
1948 Factory Act for class associated
with Industrial sector. A unique ID will be
given so that difficulty of getting
contribution will be redressed. Countries
across the world have welcomed the
decision of demonetization and the GDP
rate of India has risen. World Bank CEO
hailed the decision as a bold decision,
whose results will surely be positive, he
added.
The Prime Minister said that in the field
of industrial sector with the usage of new
technologies and development the
industrial atmosphere of Dahej has
become Eco- Friendly.
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani
said that Gujarat is leading in the field of
petrochemical. Dahej plant was initiated
by Prime Minister while he was Chief
Minister of Gujarat. Today Gujarat has
received fame in PCPIR field by
dedicating it to Industrial sector. It is the
first chemical plant with excellent
infrastructure facilities. Along with Make
In India, Gujarat will participate with a
vision of ‘Make In Gujarat’ for the
development of the nation. In year 2009-
10 OPaL has contributed 10 Million Tons,
in year 2016 it was 15 Million Tons. The
contribution of OPaL will be significant
in the development of smart city, he
added.
On the occasion, Chief Secretary Dr. J.
N. Singh, Managing Director of OPaL
Avinash Joshi, Chief Operating Officer of
OPaL Someya Chakravarti and investors
in huge numbers were remained present.•
GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES
OPaL PLANT: leading India to the top of the worldby Manas Mukul Yadav
16 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 17
By 2020, the Indian population
will contribute about 28% to
the world's youth. This is a
huge opportunity for the country to
accelerate its growth journey provided
conducive environment is created and
adequate opportunities are generated for
its youth to flourish. Providing impetus to
Research and Deve lopment and
Entrepreneurship is one of the best ways
of empowering the youth.
The Government of Gujarat realised
that, the State, being the growth engine of
the country, cannot afford to neglect these
very essential sectors if India has to
achieve its true growth potential.
Keeping this in mind, the Gujarat
G o v e r n m e n t v e r y t h o u g h t f u l l y
formulated a set of policies which would
provide tremendous boost to these sectors
and equip the youth to successfully face
the challenges of the future.
In January 2015, the state government
introduced the Gujarat Startup Policy as a
part of its Industrial Policy. It also
initiated a startup policy for IT sector
research under IT policy of Science and
Technology Department of the state in
June, 2016.
Continuing its efforts for empowering
the youth, Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijay
Rupani recently launched Student Start-
Up and Innovation Policy (SSIP) booklet
at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar to
inculcate industrial entrepreneurship
among the students pursuing higher
education.
The main goals of SSIP include
nurturing 1% of the graduates into job
creators and creating awareness about
innovation and pre-incubation among
students pursuing higher studies by
establishing facilities like fabrication
labs, common working space and design
labs . The pol icy wi l l provide a
t echno log ica l p l a t fo rm th rough
educational programmes, conferences
and seminars and MOOC-Massive Open-
Online Courses. The state will also make
available common resource centers,
permissions and credit for implementing
the innovations. Arrangements will be
made to promote the ideas of the
students from Proof of Concept (PoC) to
Minimum Viable Prototype under pre-
incubational support.
Around 14 lakhs students of more
than 60 universities and 800 plus higher
education institutes will have a scope to
participate under this policy. The State
Government will also establish a fund of
Rs. 200 crores for the next five years.
The Government is committed towards
introducing 500 student startups, 1,000
IPR patent filing in State Universities
and providing innovation support to
1000 students and pre-incubation support
to 200 educational institutions in the next
five years.
This announcement will provide
headway to students of all disciplines to
develop research activities and youth
entrepreneurship and in turn take India a
step closer to achieving its development
goals.
Objective
Ÿ Innovation Culture Building
Ÿ Qualitative Improvement in the
conventional education system.
Ÿ To create conducive environment to
inculcate creative thinking and
problem solving attitude amongst
students.
Ÿ Pre-incubation support
Ÿ To convert ideas of students from
Proof of Concept (PoC) up to
Minimum Viable Prototype (MVP).
Ÿ To create support system for Patent
filing.
Goals
Ÿ To create environment for creative
and innovative thinking.
Ÿ To convert at least 1% graduates into
job creators.
Ÿ Harness 500 student start-ups in the
next 5 years.
Ÿ To file at least 1000 patents from
universities in the state every year.
Ÿ To Support at least 1000 student-led
innovations per year.
Ÿ To build capacity for at least 200
educational institutes in the state in
the next five years to have a robust
pre-incubation support.
Major Activities
Ÿ To promote Innovation and Pre-
Incubation awareness amongst
students of Higher education.
Ÿ To encourage the s tudents to
undertake innovative projects related
to Society, Industries and community
instead of conventional academic
projects.
Ÿ To facilitate guidance and evaluation
of the projects by the experts at
institute level and also provide
platform for commercialisation of
such projects.
Ÿ To award and provide support for
approval and publication of the
research work.
Ÿ To develop high-tech facilities like
Fab Lab, Common Working Space,
Design labs, etc. at higher educational
institutions.
Ÿ To provide technology platform
through academic programmes,
seminars, workshop/Massive Open
Online Course (MOOC).
Ÿ To develop State Level Common
Resource Cen t re and Dig i t a l
Platform.•
GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES
STUDENT STARTUP AND INNOVATION POLICY
by Arvind Patel
18 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 19
By 2020, the Indian population
will contribute about 28% to
the world's youth. This is a
huge opportunity for the country to
accelerate its growth journey provided
conducive environment is created and
adequate opportunities are generated for
its youth to flourish. Providing impetus to
Research and Deve lopment and
Entrepreneurship is one of the best ways
of empowering the youth.
The Government of Gujarat realised
that, the State, being the growth engine of
the country, cannot afford to neglect these
very essential sectors if India has to
achieve its true growth potential.
Keeping this in mind, the Gujarat
G o v e r n m e n t v e r y t h o u g h t f u l l y
formulated a set of policies which would
provide tremendous boost to these sectors
and equip the youth to successfully face
the challenges of the future.
In January 2015, the state government
introduced the Gujarat Startup Policy as a
part of its Industrial Policy. It also
initiated a startup policy for IT sector
research under IT policy of Science and
Technology Department of the state in
June, 2016.
Continuing its efforts for empowering
the youth, Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijay
Rupani recently launched Student Start-
Up and Innovation Policy (SSIP) booklet
at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar to
inculcate industrial entrepreneurship
among the students pursuing higher
education.
The main goals of SSIP include
nurturing 1% of the graduates into job
creators and creating awareness about
innovation and pre-incubation among
students pursuing higher studies by
establishing facilities like fabrication
labs, common working space and design
labs . The pol icy wi l l provide a
t echno log ica l p l a t fo rm th rough
educational programmes, conferences
and seminars and MOOC-Massive Open-
Online Courses. The state will also make
available common resource centers,
permissions and credit for implementing
the innovations. Arrangements will be
made to promote the ideas of the
students from Proof of Concept (PoC) to
Minimum Viable Prototype under pre-
incubational support.
Around 14 lakhs students of more
than 60 universities and 800 plus higher
education institutes will have a scope to
participate under this policy. The State
Government will also establish a fund of
Rs. 200 crores for the next five years.
The Government is committed towards
introducing 500 student startups, 1,000
IPR patent filing in State Universities
and providing innovation support to
1000 students and pre-incubation support
to 200 educational institutions in the next
five years.
This announcement will provide
headway to students of all disciplines to
develop research activities and youth
entrepreneurship and in turn take India a
step closer to achieving its development
goals.
Objective
Ÿ Innovation Culture Building
Ÿ Qualitative Improvement in the
conventional education system.
Ÿ To create conducive environment to
inculcate creative thinking and
problem solving attitude amongst
students.
Ÿ Pre-incubation support
Ÿ To convert ideas of students from
Proof of Concept (PoC) up to
Minimum Viable Prototype (MVP).
Ÿ To create support system for Patent
filing.
Goals
Ÿ To create environment for creative
and innovative thinking.
Ÿ To convert at least 1% graduates into
job creators.
Ÿ Harness 500 student start-ups in the
next 5 years.
Ÿ To file at least 1000 patents from
universities in the state every year.
Ÿ To Support at least 1000 student-led
innovations per year.
Ÿ To build capacity for at least 200
educational institutes in the state in
the next five years to have a robust
pre-incubation support.
Major Activities
Ÿ To promote Innovation and Pre-
Incubation awareness amongst
students of Higher education.
Ÿ To encourage the s tudents to
undertake innovative projects related
to Society, Industries and community
instead of conventional academic
projects.
Ÿ To facilitate guidance and evaluation
of the projects by the experts at
institute level and also provide
platform for commercialisation of
such projects.
Ÿ To award and provide support for
approval and publication of the
research work.
Ÿ To develop high-tech facilities like
Fab Lab, Common Working Space,
Design labs, etc. at higher educational
institutions.
Ÿ To provide technology platform
through academic programmes,
seminars, workshop/Massive Open
Online Course (MOOC).
Ÿ To develop State Level Common
Resource Cen t re and Dig i t a l
Platform.•
GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES
STUDENT STARTUP AND INNOVATION POLICY
by Arvind Patel
18 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 19
COVER STORY COVER STORY
BUDGET 2017-18
ujarat is popularly known as the model
Gstate, an inspiration for the entire nation for its dedicated efforts towards
inclusive development. On February 21, 2017, Gujarat came up with the Budget for the financial year 2017-18, the first under the visionary leadership of Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. The Budget, presented by Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat Nitin Patel, is the perfect example of the progressive, decisive, sensitive and transparent governance that the Chief Minister stands for.
Speaking on the occasion, CM Vijay Rupani called it a balanced budget, which had addressed the issues of all sections of society and provided aid to all regions of the state. It is for this reason that the central theme of this year's budget has been in the words of Deputy CM Nitin Patel, to “Optimize inclusive development of human resources and trunk infrastructure through effective and transparent implementation.”
The budget outlay for 2017-18 stands at Rs. 1,72,179.24 Crore which is Rs.20,327.31 Crore higher than the outlay for the budget of previous year. Demonetization was one of the most revolutionary decisions taken by the Central government in the previous year. Despite fears that this would reduce the state's revenue, Gujarat's revenue has actually increased in the past year, particularly from VAT (Value Added Tax), as more tax payers have come under the tax net. VAT Income for Gujarat from November 2015 to January 2016 was Rs.10,198 Crore. After the announcement of demonetization, on November 8, VAT income from November 2016 to January 2017 was Rs.12,424 Crore, an increase of 21.83%.
`8812.66cr.
ROADS & BUILDINGS
`11500cr.
URBAN DEVELOPMENT
& URBAN HOUSING `25000cr.
EDUCATION
`8800cr.
HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE
`2000cr.
TRIBAL DEVELOPMENT
`6400cr.
AGRICULTURE &COOPERATION
`6700cr.PANCHAYAT, RURAL HOUSING & RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
`3799.86cr.
INDUSTRIES & MINES
`8100cr.
ENERGY &PETROCHEMICALS
`1650cr.
LABOUR & EMPLOYMENT
`98.38cr.
CLIMATE CHANGE
`3000cr.
REVENUE
by Bharat Gariwala
GUJARAT TOWARDS FAST-TRACK DEVELOPMENT
20 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 21
COVER STORY COVER STORY
BUDGET 2017-18
ujarat is popularly known as the model
Gstate, an inspiration for the entire nation for its dedicated efforts towards
inclusive development. On February 21, 2017, Gujarat came up with the Budget for the financial year 2017-18, the first under the visionary leadership of Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. The Budget, presented by Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat Nitin Patel, is the perfect example of the progressive, decisive, sensitive and transparent governance that the Chief Minister stands for.
Speaking on the occasion, CM Vijay Rupani called it a balanced budget, which had addressed the issues of all sections of society and provided aid to all regions of the state. It is for this reason that the central theme of this year's budget has been in the words of Deputy CM Nitin Patel, to “Optimize inclusive development of human resources and trunk infrastructure through effective and transparent implementation.”
The budget outlay for 2017-18 stands at Rs. 1,72,179.24 Crore which is Rs.20,327.31 Crore higher than the outlay for the budget of previous year. Demonetization was one of the most revolutionary decisions taken by the Central government in the previous year. Despite fears that this would reduce the state's revenue, Gujarat's revenue has actually increased in the past year, particularly from VAT (Value Added Tax), as more tax payers have come under the tax net. VAT Income for Gujarat from November 2015 to January 2016 was Rs.10,198 Crore. After the announcement of demonetization, on November 8, VAT income from November 2016 to January 2017 was Rs.12,424 Crore, an increase of 21.83%.
`8812.66cr.
ROADS & BUILDINGS
`11500cr.
URBAN DEVELOPMENT
& URBAN HOUSING `25000cr.
EDUCATION
`8800cr.
HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE
`2000cr.
TRIBAL DEVELOPMENT
`6400cr.
AGRICULTURE &COOPERATION
`6700cr.PANCHAYAT, RURAL HOUSING & RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
`3799.86cr.
INDUSTRIES & MINES
`8100cr.
ENERGY &PETROCHEMICALS
`1650cr.
LABOUR & EMPLOYMENT
`98.38cr.
CLIMATE CHANGE
`3000cr.
REVENUE
by Bharat Gariwala
GUJARAT TOWARDS FAST-TRACK DEVELOPMENT
20 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 21
he Government is making Tsincere efforts to improve educational standards further
both in terms of coverage and quality. The impact on primary education has been exemplary and determined efforts are being made to take it forward to higher levels of education, for which budgetary provision of Rs 25000 Crore is made, which is Rs 1185 Crore higher than previous year.
Mukhyamantri Yuva Swavalamban Yojna :Ÿ This scheme will benefit about
82,08,000 students and Rs 1,100 Crore is allocated for providing the following benefits:
Ÿ Free text books and assistance for uniform to all 60,60,000 students of primary school
Ÿ Free text books to all 21,03,000 students of secondary and higher secondary schools
Ÿ Financial support for tuition fees, mess and hostel facilities to all 45,000 students of higher education.
Ÿ In addition to 50% assistance in tuition fees under Mukhyamantri Yuva Swavalamban Yojana, female students of self financed medical colleges will get 50% assistance in tuition fees from Kanya Kelvani Nidhi, making medical education free for female students
Ÿ Tablets for students: About 3,50,000 students passing this year's 12th board exams and taking admission in colleges and polytechnics will be provided with tablets at the token
price of just Rs. 1,000, for which an allocation of Rs. 200 Crore has been made.
Digischool initiative: A total of Rs 261 Crore is allocated for
p r o m o t i n g I n f o r m a t i o n a n d Communication Technology (ICT) based education at all levels of education. Some such initiatives are:Ÿ 84,000 students of 2400 from 7th and
8th standard in 1200 primary schools will have access to smart classes through computers, smart interactive boards, IR camera, projector and digital pen. From this list, students of 100 schools will be given tablets and the students in remaining schools will be given tablets through CSR.
Ÿ E-learning based second level smart schools with internet connectivity will be set up for primary, secondary and higher secondary schools.
Ÿ Digital Education Learning (DEL) lab will be set up in additional 37 colleges to conduct on-line exams and set up language learning centers.
Ÿ Improving quality of all levels of education
Ÿ Rs 440 Crore has been allocated for improving quality of all levels of education. Some initiatives under this are:
Ÿ 7,44,152 girl students of class 9–12 will be provided free education in 5374 GIA schools.
Ÿ To make primary education more interesting, personalised to the student's taste and pace, teaching and learning aids in 25000 Prajna schools
for 22 lakh students and for Class 1-4 will be provided.
Ÿ Primary education will be provided to 1,46,000 students in private schools under RTE Act.
Ÿ New schools will be opened in tribal and far-fetched regions of the state
Ÿ 7233 visiting teachers for teaching Math and Science in secondary and higher secondary schools will be engaged.
Ÿ I n t e r e s t s u b v e n t i o n d u r i n g moratorium period on education loan for availing higher education in foreign Universities
Ÿ E d u c a t i o n a l I n f r a s t r u c t u r e Improvement
Ÿ Rs 900 Crore has been allocated for construction of quality education infrastructure like:
Ÿ 6500 new primary school rooms under Sarva Siksha Abhiyan
Ÿ Four mobile science laboratories that will benefit about 3,60,000 students.
Ÿ Construction of new government schools and colleges
Special IncentivesŸ Rs 166 Cr. has been allocated for
sections of the society that require special incentives for education like:
Ÿ Parents and guardians of 5.75 lakh girl students of primary schools in 14 tribal districts will be provided with grains under “Anna Triveni” scheme.
Ÿ 4,81,642 students of primary schools in 26 developing talukas of 12 districts will be provided with flavored milk for 200 days in a year.
The Gujarat government has
been one of India's leading
s ta tes in terms of t r ibal
development, particularly through
schemes such as Vanbandhu Kalyan
Yojana (VKY). The reason for its success
has been the focus on the integrated,
holistic and inclusive development of
tribal communities in sectors related to
livelihood, education, health, housing,
drinking water, irrigation and access to
basic facilities. VKY today has been
adopted as a Central Sector scheme, in the
Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
For the 2017-18 budget, the Gujarat
Government has allocated Rs. 2000 Cr. to
Tribal Developement, over Rs.220 Cr.
higher than last year. In addition, the
Government has also made a provision of
Rs.12,560 Cr. for the Van Bandhu Kalyan
Yojana, representing an increase of
Rs.1,465 Cr. from last year.
In this budget, the Gujarat government
has focused on empowering the tribal
population and bringing them to the
mainstream. For this purpose, they have
focused on education, and in the budget,
the Government has allocated a total of
Rs. 990 Cr. for some of the following
initiatives:-
Ÿ Establishing a Tribal University in
Narmada.
Ÿ Rs. 139 Cr. to be allocated to provide
pre-metric scholarships to 15 Lakh
students. Rs.231 Cr. allocated to
provide post metric scholarships to 2
Lakh students.
Ÿ Buildings for 50 Grant-in-aid Ashram
Shalas will be constructed.
Ÿ Rs. 7.30 Cr. will be allocated to cover
1200 bright students under talent pool
scheme.
Ÿ 4 New hostels will be constructed at
Zalod, Umarpada and Vankal.
Ÿ The Gujarat Government understands
that the health issues faced by tribals
are unique. To address this, under the
Doodh Sanjivani Yojana, 3 blocks of
Garudeshwar, Bodeli and Dolvan
have been added to the existing 49
blocks. The scheme, which caters to
12 lakh students, has been allocated
Rs.116 Cr. under the new budget.
Ÿ The Gujarat Government has also
made further interventions through
the following initiatives:-
Ÿ Allocation of Rs.15 Cr. to provide
assistance for patients suffering from
T.B, cancer, leprosy and sickle cell
anaemia.
Ÿ Provision of Rs.75 Cr. for providing
self employment to tribal youth.
COVER STORY COVER STORY
EDUCATIONTRIBAL
DEVELOPMENT
22 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 23
he Government is making Tsincere efforts to improve educational standards further
both in terms of coverage and quality. The impact on primary education has been exemplary and determined efforts are being made to take it forward to higher levels of education, for which budgetary provision of Rs 25000 Crore is made, which is Rs 1185 Crore higher than previous year.
Mukhyamantri Yuva Swavalamban Yojna :Ÿ This scheme will benefit about
82,08,000 students and Rs 1,100 Crore is allocated for providing the following benefits:
Ÿ Free text books and assistance for uniform to all 60,60,000 students of primary school
Ÿ Free text books to all 21,03,000 students of secondary and higher secondary schools
Ÿ Financial support for tuition fees, mess and hostel facilities to all 45,000 students of higher education.
Ÿ In addition to 50% assistance in tuition fees under Mukhyamantri Yuva Swavalamban Yojana, female students of self financed medical colleges will get 50% assistance in tuition fees from Kanya Kelvani Nidhi, making medical education free for female students
Ÿ Tablets for students: About 3,50,000 students passing this year's 12th board exams and taking admission in colleges and polytechnics will be provided with tablets at the token
price of just Rs. 1,000, for which an allocation of Rs. 200 Crore has been made.
Digischool initiative: A total of Rs 261 Crore is allocated for
p r o m o t i n g I n f o r m a t i o n a n d Communication Technology (ICT) based education at all levels of education. Some such initiatives are:Ÿ 84,000 students of 2400 from 7th and
8th standard in 1200 primary schools will have access to smart classes through computers, smart interactive boards, IR camera, projector and digital pen. From this list, students of 100 schools will be given tablets and the students in remaining schools will be given tablets through CSR.
Ÿ E-learning based second level smart schools with internet connectivity will be set up for primary, secondary and higher secondary schools.
Ÿ Digital Education Learning (DEL) lab will be set up in additional 37 colleges to conduct on-line exams and set up language learning centers.
Ÿ Improving quality of all levels of education
Ÿ Rs 440 Crore has been allocated for improving quality of all levels of education. Some initiatives under this are:
Ÿ 7,44,152 girl students of class 9–12 will be provided free education in 5374 GIA schools.
Ÿ To make primary education more interesting, personalised to the student's taste and pace, teaching and learning aids in 25000 Prajna schools
for 22 lakh students and for Class 1-4 will be provided.
Ÿ Primary education will be provided to 1,46,000 students in private schools under RTE Act.
Ÿ New schools will be opened in tribal and far-fetched regions of the state
Ÿ 7233 visiting teachers for teaching Math and Science in secondary and higher secondary schools will be engaged.
Ÿ I n t e r e s t s u b v e n t i o n d u r i n g moratorium period on education loan for availing higher education in foreign Universities
Ÿ E d u c a t i o n a l I n f r a s t r u c t u r e Improvement
Ÿ Rs 900 Crore has been allocated for construction of quality education infrastructure like:
Ÿ 6500 new primary school rooms under Sarva Siksha Abhiyan
Ÿ Four mobile science laboratories that will benefit about 3,60,000 students.
Ÿ Construction of new government schools and colleges
Special IncentivesŸ Rs 166 Cr. has been allocated for
sections of the society that require special incentives for education like:
Ÿ Parents and guardians of 5.75 lakh girl students of primary schools in 14 tribal districts will be provided with grains under “Anna Triveni” scheme.
Ÿ 4,81,642 students of primary schools in 26 developing talukas of 12 districts will be provided with flavored milk for 200 days in a year.
The Gujarat government has
been one of India's leading
s ta tes in terms of t r ibal
development, particularly through
schemes such as Vanbandhu Kalyan
Yojana (VKY). The reason for its success
has been the focus on the integrated,
holistic and inclusive development of
tribal communities in sectors related to
livelihood, education, health, housing,
drinking water, irrigation and access to
basic facilities. VKY today has been
adopted as a Central Sector scheme, in the
Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
For the 2017-18 budget, the Gujarat
Government has allocated Rs. 2000 Cr. to
Tribal Developement, over Rs.220 Cr.
higher than last year. In addition, the
Government has also made a provision of
Rs.12,560 Cr. for the Van Bandhu Kalyan
Yojana, representing an increase of
Rs.1,465 Cr. from last year.
In this budget, the Gujarat government
has focused on empowering the tribal
population and bringing them to the
mainstream. For this purpose, they have
focused on education, and in the budget,
the Government has allocated a total of
Rs. 990 Cr. for some of the following
initiatives:-
Ÿ Establishing a Tribal University in
Narmada.
Ÿ Rs. 139 Cr. to be allocated to provide
pre-metric scholarships to 15 Lakh
students. Rs.231 Cr. allocated to
provide post metric scholarships to 2
Lakh students.
Ÿ Buildings for 50 Grant-in-aid Ashram
Shalas will be constructed.
Ÿ Rs. 7.30 Cr. will be allocated to cover
1200 bright students under talent pool
scheme.
Ÿ 4 New hostels will be constructed at
Zalod, Umarpada and Vankal.
Ÿ The Gujarat Government understands
that the health issues faced by tribals
are unique. To address this, under the
Doodh Sanjivani Yojana, 3 blocks of
Garudeshwar, Bodeli and Dolvan
have been added to the existing 49
blocks. The scheme, which caters to
12 lakh students, has been allocated
Rs.116 Cr. under the new budget.
Ÿ The Gujarat Government has also
made further interventions through
the following initiatives:-
Ÿ Allocation of Rs.15 Cr. to provide
assistance for patients suffering from
T.B, cancer, leprosy and sickle cell
anaemia.
Ÿ Provision of Rs.75 Cr. for providing
self employment to tribal youth.
COVER STORY COVER STORY
EDUCATIONTRIBAL
DEVELOPMENT
22 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 23
aintaining its commitment Mt o w a r d s w o m e n empowerment, the Gujarat
Government p resen ted a four th consecutive Gender Budget. This budget was allocated Rs. 56,491.89 Crore representing an increase of Rs.5907.31 Crore from last year's budget.
For the nutrition and general well being of women and children, the budget has made a provision of Rs.2800 Crore, which represents an increase of Rs.185 Crore.
Some of the major provisions in the budgets include the following:-
Ÿ 1 5 % i n c r e a s e i n m o n t h l y
remuneration for Anganwadi and Tedaghar workers, as well as mini Anganwadi workers. Anganwadi Workers will now get- Rs.5500, Te d a g h a r - R s . 2 8 0 0 a n d M i n i Aanganwadi-Rs.3200 monthly. Government will bear an additional cost of Rs. 65 Crore.
Ÿ Provision for improvement in health and nutrition status of 5,52,800 pregnant and lactating mothers in the state of Gujarat through financial assistance of Rs.6000, at the time of child birth under Matrutva Sahyog Yojana.
Ÿ Provision of milk for 13 lakh children and mothers of 102 blocks of 20
districts under Doodh Sanjeevani Scheme.
Ÿ Provision for one full meal at Aanganwadi centers of 5 districts on pilot basis to benefit 27,555 pregnant and lactating mothers under spot feeding scheme.
Ÿ Provision for life insurance cover of Rs.50,000 for 93259 Aanganwadi workers and helpers.
Ÿ P r o v i s i o n f o r f e m a l e p o l i c e mitra/volunteers in 1041 village panchayats of 2 districts for acting as a link between society and police to prevent domestic violence, child marriage and dowry related violence
In the last decade and half, the Gujarat Government's aim has focused on holistic development of
all aspects of its health delivery system. From the time a person is born, till they reach old-age, the Gujarat Government, has focused on putting institutional mechanisms in place to develop its health system and provide the best possible services to its citizens. In the current budget, the Government has made an allocation of Rs. 8800 Crore.
Ÿ For Maternal and Child Care, the budget allocation this year has been Rs.119.15 Crore, and it has focused on some of the following initiatives:-
Ÿ To make blood supply available during obstetric emergencies and
trauma care, nine new blood banks at district hospitals and 41 new blood storage units at sub-district hospitals will be set up.
Ÿ Under Chiranjeevi Yojana, services of private gynaecologists will be provided to pregnant and lactating mothers of BPL, SC and ST families.
Ÿ To reduce Infant Mortality Rate in high priority area due to low birth weight, paediatric treatment and special care has been made available.
Ÿ Services of private paediatrician are made available for new born babies under Bal Sakha scheme.
Ÿ Due to the constant challenge faced
by the onset of vector borne diseases like malaria and dengue, the Gujarat Government has taken up the challenge of “eliminating vector borne disease” from Gujarat by 2022. Measures include, intense measures o f v e c t o r c o n t r o l , e x t e n s i v e screening, close monitoring, early diagnosis and treatment and public awareness campaigns. A provision of Rs. 102 Crore has been made available for this campaign.
Ÿ The budget has increased the coverage of the MA Amrutam and MA Vatsalya scheme by raising its annual family income limit from Rs. 1.20 Lakh to Rs. 1.50 Lakh. Furthermore, the government has expanded the scope of the ailments it covers, also adding neurological ailments and additional oncology procedures. Allocation under the Budget 2017 for this scheme is
Rs. 500 Crore.
With regard to medical services and medical education, the budget has made the following allocations:-
Ÿ For upgradation and modernization of civil hospital of Ahmedabad, Rs.129 Crore has been provided for installing state of the art equipment and appointing medical staff.
Ÿ To strengthen Gujarat Cancer and Research Institute and Ophthalmology Institute at Ahmedabad, Rs. 80 Crore
has been provided.
Ÿ For providing free treatment to BPL and lower income families at cancer, kidney and cardiac public institutions, Rs.40 Crore has been provided.
Ÿ Rs. 100 Crore has been provided for setting up a paediatric cardiac services centre at U N Mehta Institute of Cardiology, Ahmedabad.
COVER STORY COVER STORY
WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT
HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE
24 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 25
aintaining its commitment Mt o w a r d s w o m e n empowerment, the Gujarat
Government p resen ted a four th consecutive Gender Budget. This budget was allocated Rs. 56,491.89 Crore representing an increase of Rs.5907.31 Crore from last year's budget.
For the nutrition and general well being of women and children, the budget has made a provision of Rs.2800 Crore, which represents an increase of Rs.185 Crore.
Some of the major provisions in the budgets include the following:-
Ÿ 1 5 % i n c r e a s e i n m o n t h l y
remuneration for Anganwadi and Tedaghar workers, as well as mini Anganwadi workers. Anganwadi Workers will now get- Rs.5500, Te d a g h a r - R s . 2 8 0 0 a n d M i n i Aanganwadi-Rs.3200 monthly. Government will bear an additional cost of Rs. 65 Crore.
Ÿ Provision for improvement in health and nutrition status of 5,52,800 pregnant and lactating mothers in the state of Gujarat through financial assistance of Rs.6000, at the time of child birth under Matrutva Sahyog Yojana.
Ÿ Provision of milk for 13 lakh children and mothers of 102 blocks of 20
districts under Doodh Sanjeevani Scheme.
Ÿ Provision for one full meal at Aanganwadi centers of 5 districts on pilot basis to benefit 27,555 pregnant and lactating mothers under spot feeding scheme.
Ÿ Provision for life insurance cover of Rs.50,000 for 93259 Aanganwadi workers and helpers.
Ÿ P r o v i s i o n f o r f e m a l e p o l i c e mitra/volunteers in 1041 village panchayats of 2 districts for acting as a link between society and police to prevent domestic violence, child marriage and dowry related violence
In the last decade and half, the Gujarat Government's aim has focused on holistic development of
all aspects of its health delivery system. From the time a person is born, till they reach old-age, the Gujarat Government, has focused on putting institutional mechanisms in place to develop its health system and provide the best possible services to its citizens. In the current budget, the Government has made an allocation of Rs. 8800 Crore.
Ÿ For Maternal and Child Care, the budget allocation this year has been Rs.119.15 Crore, and it has focused on some of the following initiatives:-
Ÿ To make blood supply available during obstetric emergencies and
trauma care, nine new blood banks at district hospitals and 41 new blood storage units at sub-district hospitals will be set up.
Ÿ Under Chiranjeevi Yojana, services of private gynaecologists will be provided to pregnant and lactating mothers of BPL, SC and ST families.
Ÿ To reduce Infant Mortality Rate in high priority area due to low birth weight, paediatric treatment and special care has been made available.
Ÿ Services of private paediatrician are made available for new born babies under Bal Sakha scheme.
Ÿ Due to the constant challenge faced
by the onset of vector borne diseases like malaria and dengue, the Gujarat Government has taken up the challenge of “eliminating vector borne disease” from Gujarat by 2022. Measures include, intense measures o f v e c t o r c o n t r o l , e x t e n s i v e screening, close monitoring, early diagnosis and treatment and public awareness campaigns. A provision of Rs. 102 Crore has been made available for this campaign.
Ÿ The budget has increased the coverage of the MA Amrutam and MA Vatsalya scheme by raising its annual family income limit from Rs. 1.20 Lakh to Rs. 1.50 Lakh. Furthermore, the government has expanded the scope of the ailments it covers, also adding neurological ailments and additional oncology procedures. Allocation under the Budget 2017 for this scheme is
Rs. 500 Crore.
With regard to medical services and medical education, the budget has made the following allocations:-
Ÿ For upgradation and modernization of civil hospital of Ahmedabad, Rs.129 Crore has been provided for installing state of the art equipment and appointing medical staff.
Ÿ To strengthen Gujarat Cancer and Research Institute and Ophthalmology Institute at Ahmedabad, Rs. 80 Crore
has been provided.
Ÿ For providing free treatment to BPL and lower income families at cancer, kidney and cardiac public institutions, Rs.40 Crore has been provided.
Ÿ Rs. 100 Crore has been provided for setting up a paediatric cardiac services centre at U N Mehta Institute of Cardiology, Ahmedabad.
COVER STORY COVER STORY
WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT
HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE
24 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 25
In a stark contrast to other states in India, Gujarat is one of the few states in India that is power surplus. Thanks to the power sector reforms carried out by the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his tenure as Chief Minister, Gujarat is now able to provide 24/7 power to both its rural and urban populace.
In the current budget, the government has made a provision of Rs.8100 Crore, representing an increase of Rs.300 Crore from the previous budget. Gujarat's current power generation capacity stands at 25,256 MW. The Government proposes to increase this by 2540 MW, by
2020.
The following are the major provisions of the budget for the energy sector:-
Guja ra t Government has been providing on an average one lakh agricultural power connections annually for the last 3 years. This year a provision of Rs.2000 Crore has been made for 1,25,000 agricultural connections.
Gu ja ra t Gove rnmen t p rov ides subsidised power to farmers to reduce
cost of agricultural inputs. Current allocation is Rs.4011 Crore. Rs.400 Crore has been allocated for free power to water works of all village panchayats.
Rs.2592 Crore has been allocated to setup 2716 circuit kilometres of new power transmissions lines and 100 new power substations.
Assistance provided to 4,500 farmers f o r i n s t a l l i n g s o l a r p u m p s e t s . Furthermore, 12000 Solar PV Systems will be installed under "Solar Home Lighting Scheme". Rs. 181 Crore has been allocated for both these initiatives.
In 2017-18, about 130,000 household
PNG connections will be given and 50 CNG stations will be established by Gujarat Gas Ltd.
Th e B u d g e t h a s mad e an allocation of Rs.6400 Crore for Agriculture, Cooperation and
allied activities, representing an increase of Rs. 608 Crore from last year. In recognition of the Gujarat Government's eternal commitment to the welfare of the f a r m e r s , t h e “ A g r i c u l t u r e a n d Cooperation Department” has been renamed the “Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare Department”.
Gujarat 's policy with regard to agriculture has always focused on making every step of the agricultural process more efficient. Its policy of ensuring an efficient process from the time the crop is sown, till the time the product reaches the consumer's plate, has ensured rich dividends for the state.
In this regard, the Gujarat government has made provisions for each step of the farming process. With regard to agricultural finance, infrastructure and risk management, the budget has some of the following important provisions:-
Increase in scope of Micro-irrigation scheme, which has immensely benefitted farmers. State assistance increased from 50% to 70% for SC farmers and 75% to 85% for ST farmers. Rs. 313 Crore has been allocated for this purpose for 1,70,515 hectares of land benefitting 1,00,000 farmers.
Ÿ Rs. 80 Crore has been allocated to link cooperative credit structure with core banking system and provide RuPay debit card to farmers.
Ÿ Price stability fund has been setup to ensure minimum support price for cereals, pulses and vegetables.
Ÿ Government provides 3% interest subvention on timely repayment of c rop loans and 2% in teres t
subvention for crop loans obtained under rural cooperative credit set up. As a result, about 14 lakh farmers get crop loan merely at 1% interest, for which Rs. 500 Crore has been allocated.
Ÿ Rs.365 Crore has been allocated for Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana.
T h e G u j a r a t g o v e r n m e n t h a s introduced the following measures in the budget, with regard to farm inputs and farm mechanisation, for which Rs.418
Crore has been allocated. Some of the most important measures include 60,000 hand tool kits for small, marginal and SC, ST farmers and support for farm mechanisation, farm inputs, training and demonstration to 1,57,500 farmers under various schemes.
Ÿ Assistance for planting material needed for horticulture has been enhanced from 50% to 90%, to promote diversification and high value horticulture.
Ÿ Support given to 24,000 farmers to purchase tractors.
Ÿ The budget has allocated Rs.92 Crore for the marketing of agricultural produce. Some of the most important initiatives include the following:-
Ÿ 2,40,000 MT Storage capacity for agricultural produce will be added by constructing 50 godowns at APMCs (Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee) and 1000 godowns at Primary Agricultural Credit Society,
this year.
Ÿ e-National Agricultural Market facilities for on-line auction will be made available in 60 additional APMCs which will connect 100 APMCs and bring more buyers and sellers onto this platform.
Ÿ Assistance for facilities like auction shed, internal roads, weighbridge, sale cum demonstration center will be provided to APMCs.
Ÿ For the animal husbandry sector, the
Gujarat government has made the following allocations for the dairy sector:-
Ÿ Village level dairy milk cooperatives will be provided assistance for 375 auto milk collection system, 125 bulk coolers, 225 Doodh Ghars and 325 e q u i p m e n t s t o c h e c k m i l k adulteration. Beneficiaries will be assisted for insurance premium of 2400 cattle and procurement of cattle feed for 10000 pregnant cattle.
Ÿ Rs. 20 Crore has been allocated for a s s i s t ance to 6 d i s t r i c t mi lk cooperative unions for area specific mineral mixture plants and 2 unions for setting up cattle feed plants.
Ÿ To promote organic agriculture, the Gujarat government has allocated Rs.82 Crore in the budget and will be setting up an Organic Agriculture University.
COVER STORY COVER STORY
AGRICULTURE &CO-OPERATION
ENERGY
26 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 27
In a stark contrast to other states in India, Gujarat is one of the few states in India that is power surplus. Thanks to the power sector reforms carried out by the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his tenure as Chief Minister, Gujarat is now able to provide 24/7 power to both its rural and urban populace.
In the current budget, the government has made a provision of Rs.8100 Crore, representing an increase of Rs.300 Crore from the previous budget. Gujarat's current power generation capacity stands at 25,256 MW. The Government proposes to increase this by 2540 MW, by
2020.
The following are the major provisions of the budget for the energy sector:-
Guja ra t Government has been providing on an average one lakh agricultural power connections annually for the last 3 years. This year a provision of Rs.2000 Crore has been made for 1,25,000 agricultural connections.
Gu ja ra t Gove rnmen t p rov ides subsidised power to farmers to reduce
cost of agricultural inputs. Current allocation is Rs.4011 Crore. Rs.400 Crore has been allocated for free power to water works of all village panchayats.
Rs.2592 Crore has been allocated to setup 2716 circuit kilometres of new power transmissions lines and 100 new power substations.
Assistance provided to 4,500 farmers f o r i n s t a l l i n g s o l a r p u m p s e t s . Furthermore, 12000 Solar PV Systems will be installed under "Solar Home Lighting Scheme". Rs. 181 Crore has been allocated for both these initiatives.
In 2017-18, about 130,000 household
PNG connections will be given and 50 CNG stations will be established by Gujarat Gas Ltd.
Th e B u d g e t h a s mad e an allocation of Rs.6400 Crore for Agriculture, Cooperation and
allied activities, representing an increase of Rs. 608 Crore from last year. In recognition of the Gujarat Government's eternal commitment to the welfare of the f a r m e r s , t h e “ A g r i c u l t u r e a n d Cooperation Department” has been renamed the “Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare Department”.
Gujarat 's policy with regard to agriculture has always focused on making every step of the agricultural process more efficient. Its policy of ensuring an efficient process from the time the crop is sown, till the time the product reaches the consumer's plate, has ensured rich dividends for the state.
In this regard, the Gujarat government has made provisions for each step of the farming process. With regard to agricultural finance, infrastructure and risk management, the budget has some of the following important provisions:-
Increase in scope of Micro-irrigation scheme, which has immensely benefitted farmers. State assistance increased from 50% to 70% for SC farmers and 75% to 85% for ST farmers. Rs. 313 Crore has been allocated for this purpose for 1,70,515 hectares of land benefitting 1,00,000 farmers.
Ÿ Rs. 80 Crore has been allocated to link cooperative credit structure with core banking system and provide RuPay debit card to farmers.
Ÿ Price stability fund has been setup to ensure minimum support price for cereals, pulses and vegetables.
Ÿ Government provides 3% interest subvention on timely repayment of c rop loans and 2% in teres t
subvention for crop loans obtained under rural cooperative credit set up. As a result, about 14 lakh farmers get crop loan merely at 1% interest, for which Rs. 500 Crore has been allocated.
Ÿ Rs.365 Crore has been allocated for Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana.
T h e G u j a r a t g o v e r n m e n t h a s introduced the following measures in the budget, with regard to farm inputs and farm mechanisation, for which Rs.418
Crore has been allocated. Some of the most important measures include 60,000 hand tool kits for small, marginal and SC, ST farmers and support for farm mechanisation, farm inputs, training and demonstration to 1,57,500 farmers under various schemes.
Ÿ Assistance for planting material needed for horticulture has been enhanced from 50% to 90%, to promote diversification and high value horticulture.
Ÿ Support given to 24,000 farmers to purchase tractors.
Ÿ The budget has allocated Rs.92 Crore for the marketing of agricultural produce. Some of the most important initiatives include the following:-
Ÿ 2,40,000 MT Storage capacity for agricultural produce will be added by constructing 50 godowns at APMCs (Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee) and 1000 godowns at Primary Agricultural Credit Society,
this year.
Ÿ e-National Agricultural Market facilities for on-line auction will be made available in 60 additional APMCs which will connect 100 APMCs and bring more buyers and sellers onto this platform.
Ÿ Assistance for facilities like auction shed, internal roads, weighbridge, sale cum demonstration center will be provided to APMCs.
Ÿ For the animal husbandry sector, the
Gujarat government has made the following allocations for the dairy sector:-
Ÿ Village level dairy milk cooperatives will be provided assistance for 375 auto milk collection system, 125 bulk coolers, 225 Doodh Ghars and 325 e q u i p m e n t s t o c h e c k m i l k adulteration. Beneficiaries will be assisted for insurance premium of 2400 cattle and procurement of cattle feed for 10000 pregnant cattle.
Ÿ Rs. 20 Crore has been allocated for a s s i s t ance to 6 d i s t r i c t mi lk cooperative unions for area specific mineral mixture plants and 2 unions for setting up cattle feed plants.
Ÿ To promote organic agriculture, the Gujarat government has allocated Rs.82 Crore in the budget and will be setting up an Organic Agriculture University.
COVER STORY COVER STORY
AGRICULTURE &CO-OPERATION
ENERGY
26 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 27
The Gujarat Government has undertaken numerous schemes in the last few years to identify
and nurture talented youth, particularly in
sports. One of the most successful schemes in this regard has been the Khel Mahakumbh. Created in 2010, this grand sporting event has seen 7 editions and has been highly successful in not only identifying talent, but also in developing Gujarat's sports infrastructure, from the village to the state level.
This year's budget has made an allocation of Rs.600 Crore for Sports, Youth and Cultural Activities, and it is worth noting that Deputy CM Patel has proposed organizing a state level Kala Maha Kumbh, and has allocated Rs. 10 Crore to it.
The budget has also made provision of
Rs. 118 Crore for the following initiatives:-
Ÿ Training and sensitization of PT Teachers of more than 1000 schools under School Spor t s Contac t programme.
Ÿ Construction of hostel for 400 residents at Swarnim Gujarat Sports University.
Ÿ Jyotirmay Ambubhai Purani Awards and equipments for renowned wrestlers dedicated to Akhada.
Ÿ Increase financial assistance support being provided by Government for grant-in-aid libraries by 50%, with a provision of Rs.3.81 Crore.
While the state wins accolades for its thriving industrial sector, its achievements on
the rural development front is equally impressive. In the last decade and a half, under the leadership of Narendra Modi, the Gujarat government has not only managed to attract investment and industries, but has been instrumental in improving the condition of its rural population.
In the current budget, the Gujarat government has allocated Rs.6700 crores for rural development. An important scheme started by Modi during his tenure as Chief Minister, was to provide modern civic amenities to larger villages, particularly those located in Taluka headquarters, in order to serve a large population base. The scheme was known as 'Rurban' and had projects concerning underground drainage, water supply, internal water distribution, internal roads, electricity and solid and liquid waste management. The Gujarat government has allocated over Rs.54 Crore for this project.
In a bid to promote the state's rich rural heritage, and to conserve the ethos of rural life, Rs. 100 crores has been set aside to transform 100 handpicked villages into “Vrindavan Gram”. The government will also launch a smart
village scheme, to assess selected villages on the basis of 15 socio- economic parameters. One village in each of 247 Talukas and 49 backward Ta l u k a s w i l l b e c o v e r e d . T h e Government has allocated Rs.100 Crore for this scheme.
Under the “Swachh Bharat Gramin Miss ion” 5 lakh to i le t s wi l l be constructed in 2017-18. Projects concerning solid and liquid waste management will also be undertaken, for which Rs. 825 crore has been allocated.
Under the “Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana”, 1.10 lakh houses will be constructed, and the sum allotted to provide support has been increased from Rs. 75,000 per house to Rs. 1,20,000 per house. Provision of Rs.1373 crore has been made for the year 2017-18.
Rs. 380 crore has been allocated for generating employment of 340 lakh man days covering 6.1 lakh families under “Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme”.
COVER STORY COVER STORY
SPORTS, YOUTH & CULTURAL
ACTIVITIES
RURALDEVELOPMENT
28 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 29
The Gujarat Government has undertaken numerous schemes in the last few years to identify
and nurture talented youth, particularly in
sports. One of the most successful schemes in this regard has been the Khel Mahakumbh. Created in 2010, this grand sporting event has seen 7 editions and has been highly successful in not only identifying talent, but also in developing Gujarat's sports infrastructure, from the village to the state level.
This year's budget has made an allocation of Rs.600 Crore for Sports, Youth and Cultural Activities, and it is worth noting that Deputy CM Patel has proposed organizing a state level Kala Maha Kumbh, and has allocated Rs. 10 Crore to it.
The budget has also made provision of
Rs. 118 Crore for the following initiatives:-
Ÿ Training and sensitization of PT Teachers of more than 1000 schools under School Spor t s Contac t programme.
Ÿ Construction of hostel for 400 residents at Swarnim Gujarat Sports University.
Ÿ Jyotirmay Ambubhai Purani Awards and equipments for renowned wrestlers dedicated to Akhada.
Ÿ Increase financial assistance support being provided by Government for grant-in-aid libraries by 50%, with a provision of Rs.3.81 Crore.
While the state wins accolades for its thriving industrial sector, its achievements on
the rural development front is equally impressive. In the last decade and a half, under the leadership of Narendra Modi, the Gujarat government has not only managed to attract investment and industries, but has been instrumental in improving the condition of its rural population.
In the current budget, the Gujarat government has allocated Rs.6700 crores for rural development. An important scheme started by Modi during his tenure as Chief Minister, was to provide modern civic amenities to larger villages, particularly those located in Taluka headquarters, in order to serve a large population base. The scheme was known as 'Rurban' and had projects concerning underground drainage, water supply, internal water distribution, internal roads, electricity and solid and liquid waste management. The Gujarat government has allocated over Rs.54 Crore for this project.
In a bid to promote the state's rich rural heritage, and to conserve the ethos of rural life, Rs. 100 crores has been set aside to transform 100 handpicked villages into “Vrindavan Gram”. The government will also launch a smart
village scheme, to assess selected villages on the basis of 15 socio- economic parameters. One village in each of 247 Talukas and 49 backward Ta l u k a s w i l l b e c o v e r e d . T h e Government has allocated Rs.100 Crore for this scheme.
Under the “Swachh Bharat Gramin Miss ion” 5 lakh to i le t s wi l l be constructed in 2017-18. Projects concerning solid and liquid waste management will also be undertaken, for which Rs. 825 crore has been allocated.
Under the “Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana”, 1.10 lakh houses will be constructed, and the sum allotted to provide support has been increased from Rs. 75,000 per house to Rs. 1,20,000 per house. Provision of Rs.1373 crore has been made for the year 2017-18.
Rs. 380 crore has been allocated for generating employment of 340 lakh man days covering 6.1 lakh families under “Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme”.
COVER STORY COVER STORY
SPORTS, YOUTH & CULTURAL
ACTIVITIES
RURALDEVELOPMENT
28 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 29
either having a perennial river Nnor a significant underground
source of water, Guarat has
the been a severely water- strapped state.
In such c i r cums tances , Gu ja ra t
Government has managed to marshal its
limited water resources admirably.
In this Budget it has allocated Rs. 3010
crore, to ensure that drinking water taps
are made available to all of its citizens.
Rs. 234 Crore has been allocated to D-
network water supply schemes to provide
Narmada water to 156 villages of Upleta,
Jam Kandorna, Dhoraji and Jetpur blocks
and 5 towns of Bhayavadar, Jetpur,
dhoraji, Jam Kandorna and Upleta.
Water Resources- Out of 125 Lakh
hectares of cultivable land, only 38 lakh
hectares were irrigated in 2000. In 2016,
it has increased to 62 lakh hectares, for
which Rs. 5745 Crore has been allocated
for expanding present irrigation network.
Lift Irrigation for Tribal Areas- To
provide lift irrigation for 24,300 hectares
of land in tribal areas of Surat district and
10,000 hectares of land in Dahod and
Mahisagar districts, four lift irrigation
schemes with a total project cost of
Rs.1974 Crore were launched by PM
Modi in September 2016. An additional
Rs.438 Crore has been added by the
budget to this programme.
An amount of Rs.84 Crore has been
allocated to irrigate 16,800 hectares by
strengthening the existing canal networks
of Ukai, Kakrapar, Kadana and other
dams. Fur thermore , the Gujara t
government has provided Rs.106 Crore,
which will benefit 8,500 hectares through
participatory irrigation. It will also
benefit 2300 hectares of land through
deepening of check dams and ponds. 700
hectares will be benefitted by river, canal
and tube well based lift irrigation and
1600 hectares will be benefitted by
pressurised irrigation network (PINS).
Phase 1 of SAUNI Yojana is almost
complete, which will see 13 Reservoirs
filled with water and 60,000 hectares of
land benefitting. Phase 2 of construction
has also begun and the dams known as
Aaji – 1, Demi – 1, Lalpari, Bhimdad and
Ankadi dams will be filled up in 2017-18.
To fill up 63 dams in 10 districts, that will
ultimately benefit over 194,000 hectares
of land, the Gujarat government has
allocated Rs.1698 Crore.
As the ‘Sujalam Safalam’ scheme has
proven beneficial to farmers of north and
central Gujarat, the scheme will be
further enhanced, to cover 3000 hectares
of Gandhinagar and 14,700 hectares of
Mehsana in five lift irrigation schemes.
This includes- Piyaj to Unad, Dhadhusan
to Red Lakshmipura, Bhasariya to
Sametra, Kherva to Visnagar, at a cost of
COVER STORY COVER STORY
Rs.1063 Crore, out of which Rs.210
Crore has been provided in 2017-18.
Sardar Sarovar yojna
A s s t a t e d p r e v i o u s l y, d e s p i t e
possessing India's longest coastline,
Gujarat is one of the hottest and driest
states in India. One of the few freshwater
sources it has access to - is the Narmada
River, and to increase the water
availability given by this river, the
Gujarat government has embarked one of
India's most ambitious hydroelectric
multi-purpose dam. In the current budget,
the Gujarat government has allocated
Rs.5100 crore, representing an increase
of Rs.782 crores from last year.
This year, 15,500 Km long underground
pipelines that provide irrigation to 6.17
lakh hectares of agricultural land, were
completed in Phase 1. In addition to this,
the Gujarat government will increase the
canal network by 12,500 km in 51
Talukas and provide irrigation to
additional 4 lakh hectares, for which Rs.
1620 Crore has been allocated. Rs.791
Crore has been allocated for the sub canal
distribution of Vallabhipur, Gadhsisa and
Kutch branch canal, which will irrigate
1.6 lakh hectares of land.
The Gujarat government has signed an
Memorandum of Understanding with
NABARD for setting up solar power
plants and small electricity generation
units on canals, which will be completed
in 2017-18 and will produce a total of 110
MW of e lec t r ic i ty. The Gujara t
government has allocated a total of
Rs.332 crores for this.
This budget exemplifies Chief Minister
Vi j a y R u p a n i ' s p h i l o s o p h y o f
p r o g r e s s i v e n e s s , d e c i s i v e n e s s ,
transparency and sensitivity for good
governance. It also upholds Gujarat's long
s t and ing t r a d i t i o n o f i n c l u s i v e
development where the state aims to
ensure the best of development activities
and works towards its reach till the last
mile.
Inclusive Growth for All:
Budget 2017-18The 2017-18 Budget was in the words of
CM Rupani a 'Balanced and Complete
Budget', as it has managed to extend the
benefits of the state's growth to every
stratum of society. Regardless of whether
they were farmers, industrialists, rural
poor, urban poor, tribals, youth etc, the
budget catered to the needs of everyone
and left no one behind. As Gujarat
continues on its path of development, by
opening new avenues of growth for its
populace, it has ensured that it future
development will be greater than ever
before.
WATER
30 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 31
either having a perennial river Nnor a significant underground
source of water, Guarat has
the been a severely water- strapped state.
In such c i r cums tances , Gu ja ra t
Government has managed to marshal its
limited water resources admirably.
In this Budget it has allocated Rs. 3010
crore, to ensure that drinking water taps
are made available to all of its citizens.
Rs. 234 Crore has been allocated to D-
network water supply schemes to provide
Narmada water to 156 villages of Upleta,
Jam Kandorna, Dhoraji and Jetpur blocks
and 5 towns of Bhayavadar, Jetpur,
dhoraji, Jam Kandorna and Upleta.
Water Resources- Out of 125 Lakh
hectares of cultivable land, only 38 lakh
hectares were irrigated in 2000. In 2016,
it has increased to 62 lakh hectares, for
which Rs. 5745 Crore has been allocated
for expanding present irrigation network.
Lift Irrigation for Tribal Areas- To
provide lift irrigation for 24,300 hectares
of land in tribal areas of Surat district and
10,000 hectares of land in Dahod and
Mahisagar districts, four lift irrigation
schemes with a total project cost of
Rs.1974 Crore were launched by PM
Modi in September 2016. An additional
Rs.438 Crore has been added by the
budget to this programme.
An amount of Rs.84 Crore has been
allocated to irrigate 16,800 hectares by
strengthening the existing canal networks
of Ukai, Kakrapar, Kadana and other
dams. Fur thermore , the Gujara t
government has provided Rs.106 Crore,
which will benefit 8,500 hectares through
participatory irrigation. It will also
benefit 2300 hectares of land through
deepening of check dams and ponds. 700
hectares will be benefitted by river, canal
and tube well based lift irrigation and
1600 hectares will be benefitted by
pressurised irrigation network (PINS).
Phase 1 of SAUNI Yojana is almost
complete, which will see 13 Reservoirs
filled with water and 60,000 hectares of
land benefitting. Phase 2 of construction
has also begun and the dams known as
Aaji – 1, Demi – 1, Lalpari, Bhimdad and
Ankadi dams will be filled up in 2017-18.
To fill up 63 dams in 10 districts, that will
ultimately benefit over 194,000 hectares
of land, the Gujarat government has
allocated Rs.1698 Crore.
As the ‘Sujalam Safalam’ scheme has
proven beneficial to farmers of north and
central Gujarat, the scheme will be
further enhanced, to cover 3000 hectares
of Gandhinagar and 14,700 hectares of
Mehsana in five lift irrigation schemes.
This includes- Piyaj to Unad, Dhadhusan
to Red Lakshmipura, Bhasariya to
Sametra, Kherva to Visnagar, at a cost of
COVER STORY COVER STORY
Rs.1063 Crore, out of which Rs.210
Crore has been provided in 2017-18.
Sardar Sarovar yojna
A s s t a t e d p r e v i o u s l y, d e s p i t e
possessing India's longest coastline,
Gujarat is one of the hottest and driest
states in India. One of the few freshwater
sources it has access to - is the Narmada
River, and to increase the water
availability given by this river, the
Gujarat government has embarked one of
India's most ambitious hydroelectric
multi-purpose dam. In the current budget,
the Gujarat government has allocated
Rs.5100 crore, representing an increase
of Rs.782 crores from last year.
This year, 15,500 Km long underground
pipelines that provide irrigation to 6.17
lakh hectares of agricultural land, were
completed in Phase 1. In addition to this,
the Gujarat government will increase the
canal network by 12,500 km in 51
Talukas and provide irrigation to
additional 4 lakh hectares, for which Rs.
1620 Crore has been allocated. Rs.791
Crore has been allocated for the sub canal
distribution of Vallabhipur, Gadhsisa and
Kutch branch canal, which will irrigate
1.6 lakh hectares of land.
The Gujarat government has signed an
Memorandum of Understanding with
NABARD for setting up solar power
plants and small electricity generation
units on canals, which will be completed
in 2017-18 and will produce a total of 110
MW of e lec t r ic i ty. The Gujara t
government has allocated a total of
Rs.332 crores for this.
This budget exemplifies Chief Minister
Vi j a y R u p a n i ' s p h i l o s o p h y o f
p r o g r e s s i v e n e s s , d e c i s i v e n e s s ,
transparency and sensitivity for good
governance. It also upholds Gujarat's long
s t and ing t r a d i t i o n o f i n c l u s i v e
development where the state aims to
ensure the best of development activities
and works towards its reach till the last
mile.
Inclusive Growth for All:
Budget 2017-18The 2017-18 Budget was in the words of
CM Rupani a 'Balanced and Complete
Budget', as it has managed to extend the
benefits of the state's growth to every
stratum of society. Regardless of whether
they were farmers, industrialists, rural
poor, urban poor, tribals, youth etc, the
budget catered to the needs of everyone
and left no one behind. As Gujarat
continues on its path of development, by
opening new avenues of growth for its
populace, it has ensured that it future
development will be greater than ever
before.
WATER
30 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 31
How do you start your day? What do you do to keep yourself healthy?
Since I am involved in public service, I find it extremely difficult to find time for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. But at the same time it is important to spend some time everyday to take care of one's health and fitness. I wake up at 6 am every day to go for a walk or a jog followed by some yoga. I also routinely pray for half an hour every day. I take fruits, coconut water and milk for breakfast. Post breakfast, by around 8 am, I spend time with my visitors. When I am at my village, I start
my day an hour earlier as I need to start meeting the visitors by 7 am.
You have been in public life for years now. How do you manage to take out time for your family?
My life and my priorities are such that after being engaged in public welfare work since such a long time, I feel like the entire state is my family. I treat all the 6.5 crore people of Gujarat as my family. But there are a few people in everyone's life who play a special role in one's success. Parents, spouse and children are an inseparable part of one's life. I'm able to spare very little time with them but this is obvious since I am involved with public
s e r v i c e , a n d m y f a m i l y completely understands that.
Most of my time is spent in attending Government and party events and t o u r i n g v a r i o u s regions. I'm more often than not unable to a t t e n d m y f a m i l y f u n c t i o n s . I a m extremely grateful to my family who has immensely supported me despite my lack of time for them. They are t h e s o u r c e o f m y internal strength.
What are your hobbies?
I have been brought up in Vadi village in Surat where Kabaddi is very popular. This influenced my love for the sport. We have also worked very hard to maintain the culture of Kabaddi in rural regions. Kabaddi tournaments have been organized in my village regularly for the past 27 years where more than a lakh spectators visit from the entire South Gujarat. The tournament is always held on the New Year's Day. 27 years ago, my elder brother, Amarsingh Vasava, had organised the first Kabaddi tournament in our village and we have ever since been taking this tradition forward. We had requested the government to allocate land for organizing the tournament, which has been granted. We have even paid the premium for the allocated land. Teams from Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat participate in the tournament which goes on for 2 days. In addition to Kabaddi, almost all other kinds of sports events of south Gujarat are also organized at this venue.
How was your childhood?
I've had to struggle a lot during my childhood. I studied at a kacchi paathshala from class 1-5 and attended class 6 under the trees. The village also had water issue. Wells were dug up for extracting drinking water. There were no roads in the village. There wasn't even a hospital or a college anywhere close to my village. I feel that it is only because of this struggle that today I have the opportunity to address such issues for the entire state.
How was your journey from your humble background to S t . Xavier's college?
Up till class 7, I studied at the village itself while I studied class 8 at Jankhava village, 5 km from my village. From class 9-12, I
studied at Maharaja Rajendra Vidyalaya in Rajpipla. Then I came to Ahmedabad to study at St. Xavier's.
How did you enter the world of politics?
Initially I wasn't sure if I wanted to enter politics. But in college, I had amicable relationship with all my peers and this is what encouraged me to participate in college elections which I managed to win. As my brother, Amarsinh Vasava was in the police department as the Superintendent of Police, my family had an intense spirit of national service. Because of this, we had a desire to either join the army or the police. Post College, I even used to work at our farm with my father. But perhaps I was predestined to tread the path of public service and hence have come this far.
Who is your role model?
I consider Swami Vivekanand as my role model. I have learnt a lot from his life. I am also quite influenced by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji and have had the honor of working with him for many years. In the initial 7 years of being an MLA, I didn't have any big responsibilities. But I was extremely fortunate to be selected as the speaker of the Vidhan Sabha by Shri Modi ji. For the first time in the state, a tribal MLA was chosen as the speaker of Vidhan Sabha. I have learnt a lot from Modi ji including how to bring about development, maintain communal harmony, make the state a role model for others, percolate the benefits of development to the bottom of the pyramid and make Gujarat the growth engine of India.
What inspired you to take up the cause of the tribal community?
I have always felt that it is my duty and responsibility as a Dalit public servant, to help in the development of the Dalit community. While I am always ready to serve my community, I also feel honoured to be in a position that enables me to serve all the citizens. For any tribal leader dedicated to serve the country, the greatest source of inspiration can be derived from the tribal people who fought for independence.
Even without the official records to
substantiate their contributions, no one can deny the role that India's tribal community played in the freedom struggle. Before Independence, over 1,500 tribals martyred in the district of Mangarh, against the British. To bring this enormous contribution of the tribal community to the attention of the rest of the country, Narendra Modi undertook an investigation in his capacity as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. His investigation unearthed some historic documents which brought the incident to light.
Similarly, it is also worth noting that the Tribal kings of Dang never allowed the British to enter their region, which is a source of pride for us. During the revolution of 1857, the Kings of Mewasi from Central Gujarat provided assistance to Rani Lakshmibai. When the Mughals attacked Somnath, the King at the time was Hamir Singh Gohil. A tribal community by the name of Vegdo came to his aid during this time, and laid down their lives for the safety of their state.
There are many such tales of sacrifice and heroism from the tribal community. These stories only reinforce the fact that India's tribals played a crucial role in building our current society, and now it is time we take them forward. When all members of Indian society are able to walk together as one, only then can we be truly considered as the world leader. It is my dream that the people who comprise India's tribal community achieve new milestones in the field of education, arts, sports, politics and other fields. As a mass leader, I will forever be ready to work towards bringing the tribal community forward.
However, I feel that despite the progress we have all made as a nation since independence, it is necessary to understand the reason why the Tribal people in India have been left behind. G o v e r n m e n t s f o r m e d a f t e r independence, gave little importance towards the development of tribals. As a result, compared to the rest of society, the development of tribals in India was severely underdeveloped. With time, the allocations in the budget were increased from Rs.75 Crore, to Rs.150 Crore, and finally Rs.350 Crore. To help develop the 90 Lakh plus tribal community spread from Ambaji to Umargam, was almost impossible.
Even before Shri Narendra Modi came to power as Chief Minister, he would tour all the tribal districts from Ambaji to Umargam, and thus he was well versed with the troubles faced by these districts. When Shri Narendra Modi became Chief Minister, then under Rule 44 of the Vidhan Sabha, he introduced the Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana.
Today, in tribal areas, citizens have access to RCC roads; tribals have access to wells for drinking water, for tribal students 'Pucca' student buildings have been constructed and solutions are being found for the problem of malnutrition in these areas. In the old days, there was no Science College in the tribal areas. Shri Narendra Modi was the first to establish a Science College in a tribal district. The tribal districts are also being benefited through access to 108 ambulances. Many tribal students are also studying in Eklavaya schools as well.
Fo r t he c i t i z ens o f t he t r i ba l community, our government is fully committed and is working hard towards its eventual upliftment. I believe, that a time will come, when our tribal society will manage to transform itself into a more modern society, and then our nation will be strengthened far greater than it ever has before.
How was your journey from being a popular local leader to a senior Minister in the government?
I entered politics at a very young age. Even my party showed confidence in me at that young age. My political career started when I was studying at the St. Xavier's college in Ahmedabad where I stood for the election of the college representative. I was influenced by the p h i l o s o p h y o f t h e R a s h t r y a Swayamsevak Sangh. I became an MLA for the first in 2002 and was re-elected in 2007. I worked for the ST Morcha during this period and have twice been the chairman of the Committee on Scheduled Tribe in the Legislative Assembly. It was a huge honor for me to have been the youngest speaker of the Vidhan Sabha during 2011-12. Till now, I have discharged all my responsibilities with complete honesty and dedication and will continue to work with the same commitment in the future as well. Hailing
IN CONVERSATION WITH IN CONVERSATION WITH
GANPATSINH VASAVAMINISTER OF TRIBAL DEVELOPMENT,
TOURISM AND FOREST by Pulak Trivedi
April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 33
How do you start your day? What do you do to keep yourself healthy?
Since I am involved in public service, I find it extremely difficult to find time for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. But at the same time it is important to spend some time everyday to take care of one's health and fitness. I wake up at 6 am every day to go for a walk or a jog followed by some yoga. I also routinely pray for half an hour every day. I take fruits, coconut water and milk for breakfast. Post breakfast, by around 8 am, I spend time with my visitors. When I am at my village, I start
my day an hour earlier as I need to start meeting the visitors by 7 am.
You have been in public life for years now. How do you manage to take out time for your family?
My life and my priorities are such that after being engaged in public welfare work since such a long time, I feel like the entire state is my family. I treat all the 6.5 crore people of Gujarat as my family. But there are a few people in everyone's life who play a special role in one's success. Parents, spouse and children are an inseparable part of one's life. I'm able to spare very little time with them but this is obvious since I am involved with public
s e r v i c e , a n d m y f a m i l y completely understands that.
Most of my time is spent in attending Government and party events and t o u r i n g v a r i o u s regions. I'm more often than not unable to a t t e n d m y f a m i l y f u n c t i o n s . I a m extremely grateful to my family who has immensely supported me despite my lack of time for them. They are t h e s o u r c e o f m y internal strength.
What are your hobbies?
I have been brought up in Vadi village in Surat where Kabaddi is very popular. This influenced my love for the sport. We have also worked very hard to maintain the culture of Kabaddi in rural regions. Kabaddi tournaments have been organized in my village regularly for the past 27 years where more than a lakh spectators visit from the entire South Gujarat. The tournament is always held on the New Year's Day. 27 years ago, my elder brother, Amarsingh Vasava, had organised the first Kabaddi tournament in our village and we have ever since been taking this tradition forward. We had requested the government to allocate land for organizing the tournament, which has been granted. We have even paid the premium for the allocated land. Teams from Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat participate in the tournament which goes on for 2 days. In addition to Kabaddi, almost all other kinds of sports events of south Gujarat are also organized at this venue.
How was your childhood?
I've had to struggle a lot during my childhood. I studied at a kacchi paathshala from class 1-5 and attended class 6 under the trees. The village also had water issue. Wells were dug up for extracting drinking water. There were no roads in the village. There wasn't even a hospital or a college anywhere close to my village. I feel that it is only because of this struggle that today I have the opportunity to address such issues for the entire state.
How was your journey from your humble background to S t . Xavier's college?
Up till class 7, I studied at the village itself while I studied class 8 at Jankhava village, 5 km from my village. From class 9-12, I
studied at Maharaja Rajendra Vidyalaya in Rajpipla. Then I came to Ahmedabad to study at St. Xavier's.
How did you enter the world of politics?
Initially I wasn't sure if I wanted to enter politics. But in college, I had amicable relationship with all my peers and this is what encouraged me to participate in college elections which I managed to win. As my brother, Amarsinh Vasava was in the police department as the Superintendent of Police, my family had an intense spirit of national service. Because of this, we had a desire to either join the army or the police. Post College, I even used to work at our farm with my father. But perhaps I was predestined to tread the path of public service and hence have come this far.
Who is your role model?
I consider Swami Vivekanand as my role model. I have learnt a lot from his life. I am also quite influenced by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji and have had the honor of working with him for many years. In the initial 7 years of being an MLA, I didn't have any big responsibilities. But I was extremely fortunate to be selected as the speaker of the Vidhan Sabha by Shri Modi ji. For the first time in the state, a tribal MLA was chosen as the speaker of Vidhan Sabha. I have learnt a lot from Modi ji including how to bring about development, maintain communal harmony, make the state a role model for others, percolate the benefits of development to the bottom of the pyramid and make Gujarat the growth engine of India.
What inspired you to take up the cause of the tribal community?
I have always felt that it is my duty and responsibility as a Dalit public servant, to help in the development of the Dalit community. While I am always ready to serve my community, I also feel honoured to be in a position that enables me to serve all the citizens. For any tribal leader dedicated to serve the country, the greatest source of inspiration can be derived from the tribal people who fought for independence.
Even without the official records to
substantiate their contributions, no one can deny the role that India's tribal community played in the freedom struggle. Before Independence, over 1,500 tribals martyred in the district of Mangarh, against the British. To bring this enormous contribution of the tribal community to the attention of the rest of the country, Narendra Modi undertook an investigation in his capacity as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. His investigation unearthed some historic documents which brought the incident to light.
Similarly, it is also worth noting that the Tribal kings of Dang never allowed the British to enter their region, which is a source of pride for us. During the revolution of 1857, the Kings of Mewasi from Central Gujarat provided assistance to Rani Lakshmibai. When the Mughals attacked Somnath, the King at the time was Hamir Singh Gohil. A tribal community by the name of Vegdo came to his aid during this time, and laid down their lives for the safety of their state.
There are many such tales of sacrifice and heroism from the tribal community. These stories only reinforce the fact that India's tribals played a crucial role in building our current society, and now it is time we take them forward. When all members of Indian society are able to walk together as one, only then can we be truly considered as the world leader. It is my dream that the people who comprise India's tribal community achieve new milestones in the field of education, arts, sports, politics and other fields. As a mass leader, I will forever be ready to work towards bringing the tribal community forward.
However, I feel that despite the progress we have all made as a nation since independence, it is necessary to understand the reason why the Tribal people in India have been left behind. G o v e r n m e n t s f o r m e d a f t e r independence, gave little importance towards the development of tribals. As a result, compared to the rest of society, the development of tribals in India was severely underdeveloped. With time, the allocations in the budget were increased from Rs.75 Crore, to Rs.150 Crore, and finally Rs.350 Crore. To help develop the 90 Lakh plus tribal community spread from Ambaji to Umargam, was almost impossible.
Even before Shri Narendra Modi came to power as Chief Minister, he would tour all the tribal districts from Ambaji to Umargam, and thus he was well versed with the troubles faced by these districts. When Shri Narendra Modi became Chief Minister, then under Rule 44 of the Vidhan Sabha, he introduced the Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana.
Today, in tribal areas, citizens have access to RCC roads; tribals have access to wells for drinking water, for tribal students 'Pucca' student buildings have been constructed and solutions are being found for the problem of malnutrition in these areas. In the old days, there was no Science College in the tribal areas. Shri Narendra Modi was the first to establish a Science College in a tribal district. The tribal districts are also being benefited through access to 108 ambulances. Many tribal students are also studying in Eklavaya schools as well.
Fo r t he c i t i z ens o f t he t r i ba l community, our government is fully committed and is working hard towards its eventual upliftment. I believe, that a time will come, when our tribal society will manage to transform itself into a more modern society, and then our nation will be strengthened far greater than it ever has before.
How was your journey from being a popular local leader to a senior Minister in the government?
I entered politics at a very young age. Even my party showed confidence in me at that young age. My political career started when I was studying at the St. Xavier's college in Ahmedabad where I stood for the election of the college representative. I was influenced by the p h i l o s o p h y o f t h e R a s h t r y a Swayamsevak Sangh. I became an MLA for the first in 2002 and was re-elected in 2007. I worked for the ST Morcha during this period and have twice been the chairman of the Committee on Scheduled Tribe in the Legislative Assembly. It was a huge honor for me to have been the youngest speaker of the Vidhan Sabha during 2011-12. Till now, I have discharged all my responsibilities with complete honesty and dedication and will continue to work with the same commitment in the future as well. Hailing
IN CONVERSATION WITH IN CONVERSATION WITH
GANPATSINH VASAVAMINISTER OF TRIBAL DEVELOPMENT,
TOURISM AND FOREST by Pulak Trivedi
April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 33
from Dalit community, I believe that it is my additional responsibility to help the c o m m u n i t y i n t e g r a t e w i t h t h e mainstream in today's modern era. In the past 15 years, our government has tirelessly worked for the upliftment of the Dalits and will continue to do so in the future as well.
In the last decade, what kind of qualitative changes has the tribal community seen?
For the development of tribals, the Gujarat government has undertaken programmes to find employment for them. In the last few years, there has also been a remarkable growth in the field of education. This has resulted in the youth gett ing jobs in both private and government sectors. With the opening of P r imary, Secondary and Sen io r Secondary schools in the villages, more children are getting the chance to study. Students today are now able to qualify for jobs under the general quota and not just the tribal quota.
A p a r t f r o m t h i s , t h e G u j a r a t government has undertaken numerous policies in the field of agriculture and animal husbandry, which has benefited the tribal community immensely and given them a steadier source of income. Today, in the tribal district of Dang, the tribal community earns a good profit from the growing of cashew nuts. In the district of Valsad, vegetables are being grown and in the district of Tapi 'Bhindi' or lady fingers are being grown in abundance and are being exported abroad. In the district of Dahod, flowers are being grown and in the district of Dang, farmers are also cultivating the 'Mallika' mango tree. Through the cultivation of this tree, the tribals have earned a profit of Rs.10 Crore.
Many tribal students are also taking advantage of the programmes being offered by the government, to study. Earlier, over 50% of the medical seats, reserved for tribals, would go empty; but now th rough the e ffo r t s o f t he government, all of these seats have been filled by talented students from the tribal districts.
How will various schemes for the tribal help them brighten their future?
The Hon'ble Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Vijaybhai Rupani has always been concerned about the welfare of the tribals, whether it is discussed in the BJP meetings or government's cabinet meetings. For example: A decision has been made to give optimum wages to the teachers of Eklavya schools. Initially, there were no provisions for meal facilities in 'Dry Hostels' meant for students belonging to the tribal areas. Shri Vijaybhai Rupani has now decided to make provisions for food in these hostels as well. Apart from this, 41 hostels that used to operate on lease have now been a l located land by the government. The state government has made a provision for providing separate wards in the hospitals of Ahmedabad, Surat, Valsad for treating the tribals suffering from Sickle cell anaemia, which is a very common ailment in their community. Apart from this, the government also provides them financial assistance every month. Under the recently launched PESA Act, i.e. Panchayat Extension to the Scheduled Areas, more and more tribals are given the benefits of various government schemes falling under the same. For example: complete rights will be given to them for the ownership of minor forest products. They can even assimilate the secondary forest products and sell them. In the same manner, various minor minerals such as sand and precious stones are found in abundance in the tribal areas. The lease agreement for such minerals will now be given only to people belonging to the tribal community. Previously, a heavy rate of interest on the principal amount was being charged from them which led to their exploitation. This will now come to an end due to the i n t r o d u c t i o n o f P E S A a c t . T h e management of village ponds, which was initially done by the government, will now be done by the tribal community. Restrictions have been laid on the contractors now. Initially, they used to hire people from villages by luring them for city jobs and exploited them. The contractor will now have to inform the Village Panchayat first before taking any worker which will lead their security. I
believe, even a leader hailing from the tribal region could not have done better justice to the tribal people, the way Hon'ble Chief Minister Vijaybhai Rupani has taken pro-tribal decisions. These decisions will ultimately bear fruits in the days to come.
What is your government's future roadmap for tribal development?
The state government has recently decided to implement the PESA act i.e Panchayat Extension to the Scheduled Areas and to ensure that it reaches to each and every person of the tribal community. We have decided to carry out “Gaurav Yatra” for tribal development. We will commence this from the temple of Goddess Unai in the district of Navsari. This journey will cover each tribal area of the state, from Ambaji to Umargaon. We will make people aware about the schemes initiated by the government for the welfare of the tribals. We will inform them about the PESA act which will help them know their rights better and enable them to reap full benefits of the government schemes. And I have a lot of faith in the fact that this “Gaurav Yatra” will enlighten a lot of tribal people.
Gujarat has come up as a popular tourist hub for travellers from around the world. What are your views on the aspect of tourism in Gujarat?
Shri Narendrabhai Modi gave much importance to developing tourism during his tenure as the Chief Minister. The tourism budget used to be very small previously and it has now increased to Rs. 450 crores. Gujarat is blessed with natural scenery and we are utilizing this optimally. The state has country's largest coastline of 1600 kms. Shri Narendrabhai has given the White Desert of Kutch a unique identity. People from all over the world come to see the White Desert now. We take a lot of pride in having the only abode of Asiatic Lions in the world. Talking about the aspect of tourism in spiritual and historic terms, we have places l ike Somnath, Nageshvar, Dwarka, Ambaji, Saputara and Dakor. Apart from this, Gujarat is also a home to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Rani-ki-Vav from Patan and Champaner-Pavagadh Archaelogical Park. An
important aspect that I would like to add here is the fact that it is very necessary for a state to have peace and security in order to attract tourists from across the world. And everyone is aware about Gujarat's atmosphere in this regard. The festival of Navratri, from Gujarat, is famous throughout the world. People from across the globe visit the state to celebrate this festival. The state has 24/7 electricity facility which has led to an 18% rise in the tourist flow in the last three years.
You will find a new face of tourism with the introduction of Tribal Tourism, Eco-tourism, Buddhist Circuit, Sant Nagri and Medical Tourism in the near future. The state government, in addition to this, has introduced a Tourism Policy in order to encourage and promote tourism. The tourism sector has been given the status of industry under this new policy. This decision by the state government has given a new direction to the tourism industry. Successful campaigns like “Khushboo Gujarat ki,” “Kutch nai dekha toh kuch nai dekha,” “Kuch din toh guzariye Gujarat mai” etc. have given a new face to the tourism industry of Gujarat. I think that the tourism sector of the state will be a mirror to the religious, economical, social and historical beauty in the days to come.
Which is your favorite tourist place?
I have traveled to a lot of tourist places abroad. However, I feel that our country is the best when we talk about tourism. The Himalayas, specially, are very dear to me. They are not only important in terms of natural beauty but also in terms of religion and spirituality. Our ancestors have meditated there. Apart from that, I also admire and enjoy the tourist places in Gujarat whether they are from the aspect of scenic beauty or religious and spiritual importance.
What is your message to the youth of the state being a young leader?
Compared to all other countries of the world, India has the maximum number of youth. Our country has an approximate of 65% of its population under the age of 35. Our youth is endowed with a lot of talent. It is the need of the hour to develop good character along with good education. The education acquired should not just help during exams but also help learn the lessons of life too. Sincere and dedicated people earn fruits of their work. Therefore, one must move ahead with a set of goals and ambitions in life. The youth should take along the underprivileged sections as well so that they are not left behind. They should also take care of their family and society and work for them as well. In addition to all this, it is very important that the youth have in them, the spirit of patriotism.
Rapid Fire Round
Ÿ Favourite color: Saffron
Ÿ Most admired musician: Kalyanji-Anandi
Ÿ Favourite song: any song by Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar and Mukesh
Ÿ Favourite book: social harmony by Narendra Modi and Integral Humanism by Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay
Ÿ Favourite actor: Manoj Kumar and Raj Kapoor
Ÿ Favourite writer: Shri Gunwantbhai Shah
Ÿ Favourite food: Nagli' and 'Rotla'
Ÿ Favorite outfit: Indian outfits•
IN CONVERSATION WITH IN CONVERSATION WITH
34 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 35
from Dalit community, I believe that it is my additional responsibility to help the c o m m u n i t y i n t e g r a t e w i t h t h e mainstream in today's modern era. In the past 15 years, our government has tirelessly worked for the upliftment of the Dalits and will continue to do so in the future as well.
In the last decade, what kind of qualitative changes has the tribal community seen?
For the development of tribals, the Gujarat government has undertaken programmes to find employment for them. In the last few years, there has also been a remarkable growth in the field of education. This has resulted in the youth gett ing jobs in both private and government sectors. With the opening of P r imary, Secondary and Sen io r Secondary schools in the villages, more children are getting the chance to study. Students today are now able to qualify for jobs under the general quota and not just the tribal quota.
A p a r t f r o m t h i s , t h e G u j a r a t government has undertaken numerous policies in the field of agriculture and animal husbandry, which has benefited the tribal community immensely and given them a steadier source of income. Today, in the tribal district of Dang, the tribal community earns a good profit from the growing of cashew nuts. In the district of Valsad, vegetables are being grown and in the district of Tapi 'Bhindi' or lady fingers are being grown in abundance and are being exported abroad. In the district of Dahod, flowers are being grown and in the district of Dang, farmers are also cultivating the 'Mallika' mango tree. Through the cultivation of this tree, the tribals have earned a profit of Rs.10 Crore.
Many tribal students are also taking advantage of the programmes being offered by the government, to study. Earlier, over 50% of the medical seats, reserved for tribals, would go empty; but now th rough the e ffo r t s o f t he government, all of these seats have been filled by talented students from the tribal districts.
How will various schemes for the tribal help them brighten their future?
The Hon'ble Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Vijaybhai Rupani has always been concerned about the welfare of the tribals, whether it is discussed in the BJP meetings or government's cabinet meetings. For example: A decision has been made to give optimum wages to the teachers of Eklavya schools. Initially, there were no provisions for meal facilities in 'Dry Hostels' meant for students belonging to the tribal areas. Shri Vijaybhai Rupani has now decided to make provisions for food in these hostels as well. Apart from this, 41 hostels that used to operate on lease have now been a l located land by the government. The state government has made a provision for providing separate wards in the hospitals of Ahmedabad, Surat, Valsad for treating the tribals suffering from Sickle cell anaemia, which is a very common ailment in their community. Apart from this, the government also provides them financial assistance every month. Under the recently launched PESA Act, i.e. Panchayat Extension to the Scheduled Areas, more and more tribals are given the benefits of various government schemes falling under the same. For example: complete rights will be given to them for the ownership of minor forest products. They can even assimilate the secondary forest products and sell them. In the same manner, various minor minerals such as sand and precious stones are found in abundance in the tribal areas. The lease agreement for such minerals will now be given only to people belonging to the tribal community. Previously, a heavy rate of interest on the principal amount was being charged from them which led to their exploitation. This will now come to an end due to the i n t r o d u c t i o n o f P E S A a c t . T h e management of village ponds, which was initially done by the government, will now be done by the tribal community. Restrictions have been laid on the contractors now. Initially, they used to hire people from villages by luring them for city jobs and exploited them. The contractor will now have to inform the Village Panchayat first before taking any worker which will lead their security. I
believe, even a leader hailing from the tribal region could not have done better justice to the tribal people, the way Hon'ble Chief Minister Vijaybhai Rupani has taken pro-tribal decisions. These decisions will ultimately bear fruits in the days to come.
What is your government's future roadmap for tribal development?
The state government has recently decided to implement the PESA act i.e Panchayat Extension to the Scheduled Areas and to ensure that it reaches to each and every person of the tribal community. We have decided to carry out “Gaurav Yatra” for tribal development. We will commence this from the temple of Goddess Unai in the district of Navsari. This journey will cover each tribal area of the state, from Ambaji to Umargaon. We will make people aware about the schemes initiated by the government for the welfare of the tribals. We will inform them about the PESA act which will help them know their rights better and enable them to reap full benefits of the government schemes. And I have a lot of faith in the fact that this “Gaurav Yatra” will enlighten a lot of tribal people.
Gujarat has come up as a popular tourist hub for travellers from around the world. What are your views on the aspect of tourism in Gujarat?
Shri Narendrabhai Modi gave much importance to developing tourism during his tenure as the Chief Minister. The tourism budget used to be very small previously and it has now increased to Rs. 450 crores. Gujarat is blessed with natural scenery and we are utilizing this optimally. The state has country's largest coastline of 1600 kms. Shri Narendrabhai has given the White Desert of Kutch a unique identity. People from all over the world come to see the White Desert now. We take a lot of pride in having the only abode of Asiatic Lions in the world. Talking about the aspect of tourism in spiritual and historic terms, we have places l ike Somnath, Nageshvar, Dwarka, Ambaji, Saputara and Dakor. Apart from this, Gujarat is also a home to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Rani-ki-Vav from Patan and Champaner-Pavagadh Archaelogical Park. An
important aspect that I would like to add here is the fact that it is very necessary for a state to have peace and security in order to attract tourists from across the world. And everyone is aware about Gujarat's atmosphere in this regard. The festival of Navratri, from Gujarat, is famous throughout the world. People from across the globe visit the state to celebrate this festival. The state has 24/7 electricity facility which has led to an 18% rise in the tourist flow in the last three years.
You will find a new face of tourism with the introduction of Tribal Tourism, Eco-tourism, Buddhist Circuit, Sant Nagri and Medical Tourism in the near future. The state government, in addition to this, has introduced a Tourism Policy in order to encourage and promote tourism. The tourism sector has been given the status of industry under this new policy. This decision by the state government has given a new direction to the tourism industry. Successful campaigns like “Khushboo Gujarat ki,” “Kutch nai dekha toh kuch nai dekha,” “Kuch din toh guzariye Gujarat mai” etc. have given a new face to the tourism industry of Gujarat. I think that the tourism sector of the state will be a mirror to the religious, economical, social and historical beauty in the days to come.
Which is your favorite tourist place?
I have traveled to a lot of tourist places abroad. However, I feel that our country is the best when we talk about tourism. The Himalayas, specially, are very dear to me. They are not only important in terms of natural beauty but also in terms of religion and spirituality. Our ancestors have meditated there. Apart from that, I also admire and enjoy the tourist places in Gujarat whether they are from the aspect of scenic beauty or religious and spiritual importance.
What is your message to the youth of the state being a young leader?
Compared to all other countries of the world, India has the maximum number of youth. Our country has an approximate of 65% of its population under the age of 35. Our youth is endowed with a lot of talent. It is the need of the hour to develop good character along with good education. The education acquired should not just help during exams but also help learn the lessons of life too. Sincere and dedicated people earn fruits of their work. Therefore, one must move ahead with a set of goals and ambitions in life. The youth should take along the underprivileged sections as well so that they are not left behind. They should also take care of their family and society and work for them as well. In addition to all this, it is very important that the youth have in them, the spirit of patriotism.
Rapid Fire Round
Ÿ Favourite color: Saffron
Ÿ Most admired musician: Kalyanji-Anandi
Ÿ Favourite song: any song by Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar and Mukesh
Ÿ Favourite book: social harmony by Narendra Modi and Integral Humanism by Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay
Ÿ Favourite actor: Manoj Kumar and Raj Kapoor
Ÿ Favourite writer: Shri Gunwantbhai Shah
Ÿ Favourite food: Nagli' and 'Rotla'
Ÿ Favorite outfit: Indian outfits•
IN CONVERSATION WITH IN CONVERSATION WITH
34 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 35
IN FOCUS IN FOCUS
Sanctity and serenity of SomnathA pilgrimage place in Gujarat where
humble heads bow and great
hands fold in reverence of Lord Somnath
36 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 37
IN FOCUS IN FOCUS
Sanctity and serenity of SomnathA pilgrimage place in Gujarat where
humble heads bow and great
hands fold in reverence of Lord Somnath
36 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 37
IN FOCUS IN FOCUS
CELEBRATING THE KING OF SEASONS :
VASANTOTSAV
he season of spring is considered to Tbe the king of all seasons. It is a pleasant change from the long chilly
winter nights to a season of grand celebrations for farmers as it is the harvesting period for them.
Vasant or spring season is metaphoric with resurrection, rebirth and renewal. The long winter nights give way to longer days prompting flora and fauna to spring back to life, signifying the beginning of better times.
Gandhinagar has a rich cultural heritage. The beauty of its culture is depicted through its fairs, festivals, performing arts, food and craftsmanship. People from all over the world visit here to be a part of its cultural events. They take back home unique souvenirs including artefacts and traditional attires.
Vasantotsav is a celebration of spring season for ten days in the capital of Gujarat, Gandhinagar. This spring festival is organized every year in the month of February at the place Sanskrutikunj. It is located at the bank of river Sabarmati over twelve hector landscaped land. It has a fantastically landscaped main stage with unique and natural slops and streets.
Everyday between 2.00 pm to 10.00 pm the place remains open for visitors during these ten days. Thousands of people visit throughout the day till late evening.
Performers come from all around the country including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Odisha, Sikkim, Nagaland, Uttaranchal, Punjab, and almost every state of India to showcase their tradition and culture through folk dance and folk songs.
This year’s programme started with the mesmerising ‘Krishnaleela’ performed by deaf and dumb children of Bhavnagar. ' Bihoo' dance of Assam, Ladakh's 'Zebro', 'Pungdhol' of Manipur, Chattisgadh's 'Panthi' dance 'Chandi' of Sikkim, 'Bhapangvadan' of Rajasthan, 'Lavani' of Maharastra, Goa's 'Dakhani' ,'Bhangda' of Panjab and 'Mayur' dance of Utterpradesh performed by 260 artists were truly enchanting. Moreover ‘Raas-Garba’ of Gujarat and tribal dance were also worth seeing. As many as 200 trible artists performed 'Mevasi' dance of Vadodara, holy dance of Sabarkantha, 'Jagazavera' dance of Banaskantha, 'Phadiya' dance of Dangs, 'Talwar' dance of Dahod, and 'Siddidhamal' dance of Bharuch with traditional outfits.
Vasant Mahotsav is a festival where Indian culture is showcased outstandingly by unique live cultural shows. In addition, there are trade shows of handicraft, jewellery stalls and food shops for the visitors where they can enjoy delicious dishes.•
by Seema Dave
38 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 39
IN FOCUS IN FOCUS
CELEBRATING THE KING OF SEASONS :
VASANTOTSAV
he season of spring is considered to Tbe the king of all seasons. It is a pleasant change from the long chilly
winter nights to a season of grand celebrations for farmers as it is the harvesting period for them.
Vasant or spring season is metaphoric with resurrection, rebirth and renewal. The long winter nights give way to longer days prompting flora and fauna to spring back to life, signifying the beginning of better times.
Gandhinagar has a rich cultural heritage. The beauty of its culture is depicted through its fairs, festivals, performing arts, food and craftsmanship. People from all over the world visit here to be a part of its cultural events. They take back home unique souvenirs including artefacts and traditional attires.
Vasantotsav is a celebration of spring season for ten days in the capital of Gujarat, Gandhinagar. This spring festival is organized every year in the month of February at the place Sanskrutikunj. It is located at the bank of river Sabarmati over twelve hector landscaped land. It has a fantastically landscaped main stage with unique and natural slops and streets.
Everyday between 2.00 pm to 10.00 pm the place remains open for visitors during these ten days. Thousands of people visit throughout the day till late evening.
Performers come from all around the country including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Odisha, Sikkim, Nagaland, Uttaranchal, Punjab, and almost every state of India to showcase their tradition and culture through folk dance and folk songs.
This year’s programme started with the mesmerising ‘Krishnaleela’ performed by deaf and dumb children of Bhavnagar. ' Bihoo' dance of Assam, Ladakh's 'Zebro', 'Pungdhol' of Manipur, Chattisgadh's 'Panthi' dance 'Chandi' of Sikkim, 'Bhapangvadan' of Rajasthan, 'Lavani' of Maharastra, Goa's 'Dakhani' ,'Bhangda' of Panjab and 'Mayur' dance of Utterpradesh performed by 260 artists were truly enchanting. Moreover ‘Raas-Garba’ of Gujarat and tribal dance were also worth seeing. As many as 200 trible artists performed 'Mevasi' dance of Vadodara, holy dance of Sabarkantha, 'Jagazavera' dance of Banaskantha, 'Phadiya' dance of Dangs, 'Talwar' dance of Dahod, and 'Siddidhamal' dance of Bharuch with traditional outfits.
Vasant Mahotsav is a festival where Indian culture is showcased outstandingly by unique live cultural shows. In addition, there are trade shows of handicraft, jewellery stalls and food shops for the visitors where they can enjoy delicious dishes.•
by Seema Dave
38 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 39
anchamahal district of Gujarat is known all over Pthe globe for the world heritage site “Champaner” city.
Vanraj Chavda founded city Champaner in the 8th century in fond memory of his General Champraj and later became a seat of power of Khichi Chauhan. Later in 14th Century Sultan Muhammad attacked the city and made it his capital. He shifted his crown seat from Ahmedabad to Champaner and remained a power centre of Gujarat for a long while.
Consisting of beautiful fusion of Hindu and Muslim Architecture, preserving hindu style of construction with Muslim ethos, there are monuments like mosques, temples, granaries, tombs, wells, walls, and terraces.
At Champaner today, you can find the site of the Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, which UNESCO declared a World Heritage Site in 2004.
The famous Dhrupad musician Brijnath Mishra also popularly known as Baiju Bawra was court musician of the Sultanate and lived in the Champaner.
Pavagadh is another attraction of the Panchmahal district. It is a beautiful hillock of south Aravalli range, standing grandiloquent in the plain. It consists of five plateaus.
Pavagadh is regarded as a popular place of pilgrimage. Legend is that the highest Plateau Kalikamata is a place where right toe of Sati Parvati had fallen and since then has become a place of Shakti worship. It is also believed to be a revered place as it was abode of Rajarshi Vishwamitra and Pavagarh hill was God's bestowal to Sage Vishwamitra to protect his famous cow Kamdhenu.
Deep blue sky with white clouds on enticing lush green hills, misty waterfall, it not only mesmerises people with its natural beauty but leaves them in awe with its rich biodiversity. It is place of ethereal beauty and tranquility. At dusk, when sun light fades with chirping of birds in dense forest of foothills, clinking of bells and euphony of Aarti of Goddess Kali from atop induces to eternal bliss.
Panch mahotsav is an initiative of the district to invite tourists to enjoy the taste of culture and indulge in thrilling and exciting activites through the festival. The activities include a heritage walk to explore the beauty and appreciate the world renounced heritage site. It also includes a pilgrimage tour to the temple of the goddess. Since panchmahal is endowed with natural scenic beauty, a nature trail is also an attraction of the tourist festival. The travel enthusiasts can indulge in adventure sports too, which are organised here during the festival. Apart from that, the festival offers photography workshops, amusement area, craft markets, flea market, food courts and a grand cultural evening. There is a tent city organised here for the tourists to enjoy the local flavour and blend in with the cultural hues of the Panch Mahotsav. •
PANCH MAHOTSAV
A CELEBRATION OFHERITAGE
IN FOCUS IN FOCUS
by Team ‘the GUJARAT’
40 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 41
anchamahal district of Gujarat is known all over Pthe globe for the world heritage site “Champaner” city.
Vanraj Chavda founded city Champaner in the 8th century in fond memory of his General Champraj and later became a seat of power of Khichi Chauhan. Later in 14th Century Sultan Muhammad attacked the city and made it his capital. He shifted his crown seat from Ahmedabad to Champaner and remained a power centre of Gujarat for a long while.
Consisting of beautiful fusion of Hindu and Muslim Architecture, preserving hindu style of construction with Muslim ethos, there are monuments like mosques, temples, granaries, tombs, wells, walls, and terraces.
At Champaner today, you can find the site of the Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, which UNESCO declared a World Heritage Site in 2004.
The famous Dhrupad musician Brijnath Mishra also popularly known as Baiju Bawra was court musician of the Sultanate and lived in the Champaner.
Pavagadh is another attraction of the Panchmahal district. It is a beautiful hillock of south Aravalli range, standing grandiloquent in the plain. It consists of five plateaus.
Pavagadh is regarded as a popular place of pilgrimage. Legend is that the highest Plateau Kalikamata is a place where right toe of Sati Parvati had fallen and since then has become a place of Shakti worship. It is also believed to be a revered place as it was abode of Rajarshi Vishwamitra and Pavagarh hill was God's bestowal to Sage Vishwamitra to protect his famous cow Kamdhenu.
Deep blue sky with white clouds on enticing lush green hills, misty waterfall, it not only mesmerises people with its natural beauty but leaves them in awe with its rich biodiversity. It is place of ethereal beauty and tranquility. At dusk, when sun light fades with chirping of birds in dense forest of foothills, clinking of bells and euphony of Aarti of Goddess Kali from atop induces to eternal bliss.
Panch mahotsav is an initiative of the district to invite tourists to enjoy the taste of culture and indulge in thrilling and exciting activites through the festival. The activities include a heritage walk to explore the beauty and appreciate the world renounced heritage site. It also includes a pilgrimage tour to the temple of the goddess. Since panchmahal is endowed with natural scenic beauty, a nature trail is also an attraction of the tourist festival. The travel enthusiasts can indulge in adventure sports too, which are organised here during the festival. Apart from that, the festival offers photography workshops, amusement area, craft markets, flea market, food courts and a grand cultural evening. There is a tent city organised here for the tourists to enjoy the local flavour and blend in with the cultural hues of the Panch Mahotsav. •
PANCH MAHOTSAV
A CELEBRATION OFHERITAGE
IN FOCUS IN FOCUS
by Team ‘the GUJARAT’
40 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 41
A t h r e e - d a y N a t i o n a l Conference on tourism, sports, culture and youth affairs,
organized by the Ministries of Tourism, Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports in cooperation with the Government of Gujarat was held at the White Desert of Kutch, Dhordo from the 20th to the 22nd January, 2017. The aim of this conference was to bring these 4 state level departments under one umbrella so that they can work together for better outputs, under the ‘Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat’ vision of the Hon'ble Prime Minister.
It is fitting that the conference was hosted by Gujarat considering the amount of effort that the Gujarat Government has put into developing the state's tourism and sports infrastructure and preserving and promoting its culture. The events organized by the Gujarat government during the Rann Utsav, Monsoon and Kite Festivals at many locations across the state, the Navratri Celebrations etc. draw thousands of tourists to it every year. The government also organized one of the largest celebrations of sports in the country, the 'Khel Mahakumbh' which provides impetus to sports loving youth to pursue their passion.
The conference began with an address by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who briefed the attendees via video uplink. In his address, PM Modi stressed on the importance of Indian culture, values,
tourism and the youth which can shape world trends. He also mentioned that it is the need of the hour to first know what is in our homes than knowing what lies with the neighbor, in reference to the rich tourism spots, traditions and culture that India is endowed with. States should promote more cultural exchange amongst its youth.
Referring to the development of Kutch as a tourist region, after the earthquake, PM Modi spoke on the need for Indian states to become more tourist-friendly. They could do this by providing world-class tourist infrastructure, which would cater to the needs of domestic and international tourists.
Speaking on the strength of the cultural wisdom in Gujarat, as well as its tourism and sports sectors, CM Rupani talked about how Gujarat had been developed as a major destination under PM Modi's tenure as Chief Minister. He also spoke on the growth of the local handicraft industry and the increase in artisans, due to the increase in tourist inflow.
Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Vijay Goel lauded the approach of the Prime Minister for making India a global icon in Tourism, Culture and Sports. He stated that the Government of India will launch a special and dedicated sports portal which will highlight the achievements of various talented people who have gained recognition in the field.
Union Minister for Tourism, Mr. Mahesh Sharma mentioned that this conference will provide new platform for
mutual interaction between various states that will lead to a holistic development of the country. ‘India is ranked 13th in World Tourism Index and contributes 10.71 % in world tourism growth’, he added.
A set of national priorities were identified (in the sessions where India's image as a sports playing nations was d i scussed) inc lud ing p lay f i e ld development , na t iona l coaching development framework, national sports talent hunt portal, national sports talent development program, promotion of hubs of sports excellence in select universities (10), creation of domain expertise in sports science and sports technology and a time bound action plan was formulated in order to plan for vision 2028 to make India a leading nation in the area of sports.
T h i s h i g h l e v e l d i a l o g u e a n d d i s c u s s i o n , b e t w e e n v a r i o u s representatives from the states and the Centre, focused on key areas like encouraging and promoting Rural Tourism, Tribal Odyssey, the local fairs and festivals, inter-state sharing of India's culture, tourism and sports heritage and many other applied areas of opportunities along with a proper roadmap for the same.
The discussion and the outcomes of the three day-conference indeed matched with the vision of the Prime Minister and the long lasting effects of the same will be seen in the days to come upon successful implementation of the same.•
In the past few months, two theme b a s e d m a r a t h o n s a n d o n e cyclothon were organized in the
state of Gujarat in order to promote an active life style and generate public awareness on various social issues. The Government of Gujarat has been extremely supportive of such innovative initiatives and was actively involved with their successful organization. This is evident from the eagerness shown by Vijay Rupani, Chief Minister of Gujarat, to assure his presence at all the 3 events to encourage the citizens despite his busy schedule and exigent event timings.
Cyclothon Ahmedabad – 2017
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani flagged-off Cyclothon Ahmedabad–2017 on 29th January, 2017 and cheered thousands of cyclists at Sabarmati
riverfront. He encouraged the citizens to turn towards cycling as it is one of the best exercises for physical fitness which also helps conserve the environment and ease traffic problems.
Rajkot Marathon Run for Smart City, Cleanliness and Traffic Control
The city of Rajkot hosted the marathon run for smart city, cleanliness and traffic control on 5th february, 2017. The event was flagged off by the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Vijay Rupani from the Racecourse Ground who lauded
the people of Rajkot as the guiding spirit for r ising to the occasion in all circumstances and challenges.
The regular marathons were held for 41km, 21km and 11km, besides that for physically challenged (divyang), senior citizens and even cancer and hemophilia patients. A record 63,594 people
participated in the Marathon which was the highest number for India and second highest for Asia.
Vadodara International Marathon-2017
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Union Sports Minister Vijay Goel flagged off the ONGC Petro additions Limited (OPaL) Vadodara International Marathon-2017 to boost the Swachh Bharat, Digital India and Cashless India campaigns from Navalakhi Ground in Va d o d a r a . O v e r 7 2 , 0 0 0 p e o p l e participated in the marathon. A separate run was also organized for the physically challenged. Speaking on the occasion, CM Vijay Rupani expressed hope that there would be one lakh participants for next year 's marathon. He lauded Vadodara city's initiative to take innovative decisions and launch innovative events.•
TOWARDS HEALTH, PROSPERITY AND AWARENESS
A BRIGHT-LIT PATH FOR
TOURISM IN GUJARAT
IN FOCUS IN FOCUS
by Team ‘the GUJARAT’
by Team ‘the GUJARAT’
42 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 43
A t h r e e - d a y N a t i o n a l Conference on tourism, sports, culture and youth affairs,
organized by the Ministries of Tourism, Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports in cooperation with the Government of Gujarat was held at the White Desert of Kutch, Dhordo from the 20th to the 22nd January, 2017. The aim of this conference was to bring these 4 state level departments under one umbrella so that they can work together for better outputs, under the ‘Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat’ vision of the Hon'ble Prime Minister.
It is fitting that the conference was hosted by Gujarat considering the amount of effort that the Gujarat Government has put into developing the state's tourism and sports infrastructure and preserving and promoting its culture. The events organized by the Gujarat government during the Rann Utsav, Monsoon and Kite Festivals at many locations across the state, the Navratri Celebrations etc. draw thousands of tourists to it every year. The government also organized one of the largest celebrations of sports in the country, the 'Khel Mahakumbh' which provides impetus to sports loving youth to pursue their passion.
The conference began with an address by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who briefed the attendees via video uplink. In his address, PM Modi stressed on the importance of Indian culture, values,
tourism and the youth which can shape world trends. He also mentioned that it is the need of the hour to first know what is in our homes than knowing what lies with the neighbor, in reference to the rich tourism spots, traditions and culture that India is endowed with. States should promote more cultural exchange amongst its youth.
Referring to the development of Kutch as a tourist region, after the earthquake, PM Modi spoke on the need for Indian states to become more tourist-friendly. They could do this by providing world-class tourist infrastructure, which would cater to the needs of domestic and international tourists.
Speaking on the strength of the cultural wisdom in Gujarat, as well as its tourism and sports sectors, CM Rupani talked about how Gujarat had been developed as a major destination under PM Modi's tenure as Chief Minister. He also spoke on the growth of the local handicraft industry and the increase in artisans, due to the increase in tourist inflow.
Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Vijay Goel lauded the approach of the Prime Minister for making India a global icon in Tourism, Culture and Sports. He stated that the Government of India will launch a special and dedicated sports portal which will highlight the achievements of various talented people who have gained recognition in the field.
Union Minister for Tourism, Mr. Mahesh Sharma mentioned that this conference will provide new platform for
mutual interaction between various states that will lead to a holistic development of the country. ‘India is ranked 13th in World Tourism Index and contributes 10.71 % in world tourism growth’, he added.
A set of national priorities were identified (in the sessions where India's image as a sports playing nations was d i scussed) inc lud ing p lay f i e ld development , na t iona l coaching development framework, national sports talent hunt portal, national sports talent development program, promotion of hubs of sports excellence in select universities (10), creation of domain expertise in sports science and sports technology and a time bound action plan was formulated in order to plan for vision 2028 to make India a leading nation in the area of sports.
T h i s h i g h l e v e l d i a l o g u e a n d d i s c u s s i o n , b e t w e e n v a r i o u s representatives from the states and the Centre, focused on key areas like encouraging and promoting Rural Tourism, Tribal Odyssey, the local fairs and festivals, inter-state sharing of India's culture, tourism and sports heritage and many other applied areas of opportunities along with a proper roadmap for the same.
The discussion and the outcomes of the three day-conference indeed matched with the vision of the Prime Minister and the long lasting effects of the same will be seen in the days to come upon successful implementation of the same.•
In the past few months, two theme b a s e d m a r a t h o n s a n d o n e cyclothon were organized in the
state of Gujarat in order to promote an active life style and generate public awareness on various social issues. The Government of Gujarat has been extremely supportive of such innovative initiatives and was actively involved with their successful organization. This is evident from the eagerness shown by Vijay Rupani, Chief Minister of Gujarat, to assure his presence at all the 3 events to encourage the citizens despite his busy schedule and exigent event timings.
Cyclothon Ahmedabad – 2017
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani flagged-off Cyclothon Ahmedabad–2017 on 29th January, 2017 and cheered thousands of cyclists at Sabarmati
riverfront. He encouraged the citizens to turn towards cycling as it is one of the best exercises for physical fitness which also helps conserve the environment and ease traffic problems.
Rajkot Marathon Run for Smart City, Cleanliness and Traffic Control
The city of Rajkot hosted the marathon run for smart city, cleanliness and traffic control on 5th february, 2017. The event was flagged off by the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Vijay Rupani from the Racecourse Ground who lauded
the people of Rajkot as the guiding spirit for r ising to the occasion in all circumstances and challenges.
The regular marathons were held for 41km, 21km and 11km, besides that for physically challenged (divyang), senior citizens and even cancer and hemophilia patients. A record 63,594 people
participated in the Marathon which was the highest number for India and second highest for Asia.
Vadodara International Marathon-2017
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Union Sports Minister Vijay Goel flagged off the ONGC Petro additions Limited (OPaL) Vadodara International Marathon-2017 to boost the Swachh Bharat, Digital India and Cashless India campaigns from Navalakhi Ground in Va d o d a r a . O v e r 7 2 , 0 0 0 p e o p l e participated in the marathon. A separate run was also organized for the physically challenged. Speaking on the occasion, CM Vijay Rupani expressed hope that there would be one lakh participants for next year 's marathon. He lauded Vadodara city's initiative to take innovative decisions and launch innovative events.•
TOWARDS HEALTH, PROSPERITY AND AWARENESS
A BRIGHT-LIT PATH FOR
TOURISM IN GUJARAT
IN FOCUS IN FOCUS
by Team ‘the GUJARAT’
by Team ‘the GUJARAT’
42 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 43
Chimanbhai Sapariya was born
into a family of farmers and
has been involved in both
agriculture and business. This is a unique
combination of interests and a strategic
combination. He has been interested in
both fields. In fact, in some ways they are
both complementary to one another and
cannot be separated.
The Agriculture Minister has come
from a humble beginning, being attached
to the field of agriculture since childhood,
but it is when he was in college that he
actually engaged himself in farming with
all his effort.
Farming is a vocation that apart from
bread and butter, gives him a sense of joy
and peace and it helps re-establish a
connection with the roots. In his opinion,
farming also teaches us to love our land,
and it also cultivates, within us, the love
for our country. A child who grew up to
love his land so, a youth who grew to
respect his vocation so, is the Agriculture
Minister of the state today. It is an
inspiring story of how a man of passion
today serves his state as a visionary
Minister working relentlessly towards
the best interest of farmers.
His family was engaged in the business
of farming. During his time as a farmer,
his father used modern methods of
farming to grow papaya and sugarcane.
He had an image of a progressive farmer,
in his community. When growing
sugarcane, he only selected the best
breeds of sugarcane, which were likely to
get the highest yields for use.
During his years in secondary school
and college, when he was engaged in
farming, his family usually designated
him with the task of collecting the most
useful tools and necessary implements
that would be utilized for farming, for
their business. This is why, he says
confidently, that both business and
farming are close to his heart.
The life of a public servant surely keeps
one very busy and on the move.
Maintaining a routine which balances
public service and personal time becomes
very difficult. The dedicated public
servant Chimanbhai Sapariya finds
himself in the same boat. His daily
routine usually does not leave him with
much time to either do Yoga or any
Pranayam of any form. He considers his
work to be his greatest religion and this is
reflected in his life as well. Every day, he
begins his day with a wish to do as much
as he can for every single citizen of
Gujarat. He is a people's man and this is
reflected in his attitude while dealing
with the citizens. A noteworthy aspect of
his life is that he never misses a phone
call. He is the most approachable leader
one can come across and always has time
to keep in touch with his beloved citizens.
Chimanbhai is a simpleton from the
town of Jam Jodhpur. Till day, he is
known as a fun loving and adventurous
friend among the people of his town.
When he was studying in secondary
school, there were very few two-wheelers
or four-wheelers in their neighbourhood.
At that time, it was his desire to own a
Bullet motorcycle. He wanted the
motorcycle so badly, that he made a bet
with two of his closest friends on a plain
piece of paper, as to which one of them
would be the first to buy a Bullet. This
was around, 1974-75 and it was one of his
happiest moments when he managed to
buy a Bullet for himself. After this his
adventurous side didn't let him stay put,
he travelled a lot with his Bullet
motorcycle. At that time, their house also
had a tractor. Whenever they needed
spare parts for the tractor, which at that
time weren't available in Rajkot, he was
comfortable enough to t ravel to
Ahmedabad on the bike.
Chimanbhai is an ardent patriot. He
considers Shyama Prasad Mukherjee as
his role model. He believes in his
ideology and has strived to follow it all
his life. Since Secondary school, he has
been attached to the views of Shyama
Prasad. He has also been deeply affected
by the thoughts and ideas of Sardar
Vallabhai Patel, who was also the son of a
farmer.
Among these great leaders and
ideologists of the nation, he has also been
deeply influenced by the working style of
Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
When he was elected as an MLA in
1995, he was given the chance to work
under the leadership of Keshubhai Patel.
After this, in the leadership of Narendra
Modi, then CM of Gujarat, he was given
the charge of Road and Building.During
that time, he observed Narendra Modi's
work ethic first hand. With regard to
development, he always worked with
passion and dedication. Whenever he was
given any work, he ensured that it was
finished on time. The art of facing
consistent challenges and hardships and
winning despite all odds, that is an art that
only Narendra Modi has mastered.
From a background of agriculture and
business, it is quite interesting to know
how he decided to enter politics. He
vividly recalls the incident that triggered
his entry to politics. It was between 1977-
78, in the districts of Bhayavadar, Upleta,
Jam Jodhpur and Dhoraji, that there was a
huge surplus in the output of onions. That
year, farmers were getting very low
prices for their onions they were selling.
Because of the low prices in the market,
the government at the centre bought
onions at a price of Rs.8. At that time,
farmers were not receiving the help they
should have received from officials of
various government co-operatives, due to
wh ich the p rob lems go t worse .
Chimanbhai's family also cultivated
onions on over 16 acres of land but were
only able to sell the stock to NAFED
(National Agricultural Cooperative
Marketing Federation of India). He was
constantly in touch with the officials of
various co-operatives for over 30 days to
find a solution but we was unable to find a
way. Seeing this grave injustice done to
the farmers, he was disappointed and
distressed and it affected his conscience
a t a p e r s o n a l l e v e l . T h e r e w a s
considerable resentment against the
Government at the centre at the time. He
turned his own opposition against the
government's policies into a life
dedicated to public service and swore that
he would spend the rest of his life serving
the people to the best of his abilities.
He did not enter politics as his own
ambition, but instead was driven into it by
the will of the people of Gujarat. He won
his first election in Sahakari Mandali, in
order to represent the farmers. This was
the beginning of his political career. The
CHIMANBHAI SAPARIYAby P. M. Trivedi
VISIONARIES VISIONARIES
44 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 45
Chimanbhai Sapariya was born
into a family of farmers and
has been involved in both
agriculture and business. This is a unique
combination of interests and a strategic
combination. He has been interested in
both fields. In fact, in some ways they are
both complementary to one another and
cannot be separated.
The Agriculture Minister has come
from a humble beginning, being attached
to the field of agriculture since childhood,
but it is when he was in college that he
actually engaged himself in farming with
all his effort.
Farming is a vocation that apart from
bread and butter, gives him a sense of joy
and peace and it helps re-establish a
connection with the roots. In his opinion,
farming also teaches us to love our land,
and it also cultivates, within us, the love
for our country. A child who grew up to
love his land so, a youth who grew to
respect his vocation so, is the Agriculture
Minister of the state today. It is an
inspiring story of how a man of passion
today serves his state as a visionary
Minister working relentlessly towards
the best interest of farmers.
His family was engaged in the business
of farming. During his time as a farmer,
his father used modern methods of
farming to grow papaya and sugarcane.
He had an image of a progressive farmer,
in his community. When growing
sugarcane, he only selected the best
breeds of sugarcane, which were likely to
get the highest yields for use.
During his years in secondary school
and college, when he was engaged in
farming, his family usually designated
him with the task of collecting the most
useful tools and necessary implements
that would be utilized for farming, for
their business. This is why, he says
confidently, that both business and
farming are close to his heart.
The life of a public servant surely keeps
one very busy and on the move.
Maintaining a routine which balances
public service and personal time becomes
very difficult. The dedicated public
servant Chimanbhai Sapariya finds
himself in the same boat. His daily
routine usually does not leave him with
much time to either do Yoga or any
Pranayam of any form. He considers his
work to be his greatest religion and this is
reflected in his life as well. Every day, he
begins his day with a wish to do as much
as he can for every single citizen of
Gujarat. He is a people's man and this is
reflected in his attitude while dealing
with the citizens. A noteworthy aspect of
his life is that he never misses a phone
call. He is the most approachable leader
one can come across and always has time
to keep in touch with his beloved citizens.
Chimanbhai is a simpleton from the
town of Jam Jodhpur. Till day, he is
known as a fun loving and adventurous
friend among the people of his town.
When he was studying in secondary
school, there were very few two-wheelers
or four-wheelers in their neighbourhood.
At that time, it was his desire to own a
Bullet motorcycle. He wanted the
motorcycle so badly, that he made a bet
with two of his closest friends on a plain
piece of paper, as to which one of them
would be the first to buy a Bullet. This
was around, 1974-75 and it was one of his
happiest moments when he managed to
buy a Bullet for himself. After this his
adventurous side didn't let him stay put,
he travelled a lot with his Bullet
motorcycle. At that time, their house also
had a tractor. Whenever they needed
spare parts for the tractor, which at that
time weren't available in Rajkot, he was
comfortable enough to t ravel to
Ahmedabad on the bike.
Chimanbhai is an ardent patriot. He
considers Shyama Prasad Mukherjee as
his role model. He believes in his
ideology and has strived to follow it all
his life. Since Secondary school, he has
been attached to the views of Shyama
Prasad. He has also been deeply affected
by the thoughts and ideas of Sardar
Vallabhai Patel, who was also the son of a
farmer.
Among these great leaders and
ideologists of the nation, he has also been
deeply influenced by the working style of
Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
When he was elected as an MLA in
1995, he was given the chance to work
under the leadership of Keshubhai Patel.
After this, in the leadership of Narendra
Modi, then CM of Gujarat, he was given
the charge of Road and Building.During
that time, he observed Narendra Modi's
work ethic first hand. With regard to
development, he always worked with
passion and dedication. Whenever he was
given any work, he ensured that it was
finished on time. The art of facing
consistent challenges and hardships and
winning despite all odds, that is an art that
only Narendra Modi has mastered.
From a background of agriculture and
business, it is quite interesting to know
how he decided to enter politics. He
vividly recalls the incident that triggered
his entry to politics. It was between 1977-
78, in the districts of Bhayavadar, Upleta,
Jam Jodhpur and Dhoraji, that there was a
huge surplus in the output of onions. That
year, farmers were getting very low
prices for their onions they were selling.
Because of the low prices in the market,
the government at the centre bought
onions at a price of Rs.8. At that time,
farmers were not receiving the help they
should have received from officials of
various government co-operatives, due to
wh ich the p rob lems go t worse .
Chimanbhai's family also cultivated
onions on over 16 acres of land but were
only able to sell the stock to NAFED
(National Agricultural Cooperative
Marketing Federation of India). He was
constantly in touch with the officials of
various co-operatives for over 30 days to
find a solution but we was unable to find a
way. Seeing this grave injustice done to
the farmers, he was disappointed and
distressed and it affected his conscience
a t a p e r s o n a l l e v e l . T h e r e w a s
considerable resentment against the
Government at the centre at the time. He
turned his own opposition against the
government's policies into a life
dedicated to public service and swore that
he would spend the rest of his life serving
the people to the best of his abilities.
He did not enter politics as his own
ambition, but instead was driven into it by
the will of the people of Gujarat. He won
his first election in Sahakari Mandali, in
order to represent the farmers. This was
the beginning of his political career. The
CHIMANBHAI SAPARIYAby P. M. Trivedi
VISIONARIES VISIONARIES
44 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 45
first political post of his career was that of
the Chairman of the Seva Sahakari
Mandali. Following this, he was elected
to run the municipality of Jam Jodhpur.
He has travelled to countries like Japan,
Germany and the U.S and learned of the
various different types of agricultural
techniques utilized there. Many of these
experiences have influenced Gujarat's
Agricultural Policy 2016. In various
parts of the world, new agricultural
techniques are constantly being created.
Today, in the more developed parts of the
world, modern techniques such as drip
irrigation, green house, net house and
utilizing high quality seeds are being
utilized. All these were taken as
i n s p i r a t i o n w h i l e c r e a t i n g t h e
Agricultural Policy 2016. His aim was to
give farmers maximum benefits, at the
least possible expenditure.
The state government has taken
agriculture of Gujarat to a new height by
giving it a modern form. Time and
patience is required to change any
tradition. The agricultural techniques are
age old in our country. Farmers don't
receive the best output due to the
changing environment and climate.
Recognizing this, PM Narendra Modi
l aunched severa l commendable
initiatives, plans and campaigns to
transform the traditional agricultural
techniques into modern agriculture. In
2005, he started the agricultural festival
Krishi Mahotsav to provide the
agricultural sector with a new medium of
revenue generation and doubling the
farmers' income. Under this campaign,
farmers are also being made aware about
the modern technology by sending
agronomists to the villages. Narendra
Modi discussed with agricultural
scientists, the option of chemical
fertilizer. The scientists suggested that
required amount of fertilizer should be
used after getting the soil tested. Thus, he
decided to provide soil health card to the
farmers. Under this programme, farmers
are being conveyed information about the
amount of fertilizers to be used post the
soil testing. Soil health cards not only cut
the farmers' expenses, but also helped
prevent damage to the soil from chemical
fertilizers. Apart from this, the state also
organises “Krishi Melas” – agricultural
fa i r s , where in they provide the
information pertaining to the various
modern techniques of agriculture to the
farmers.
Similarly, new seeds as well as
advanced techniques that are being
researched at agricultural universities are
also provided to the farmers through
agricultural fairs and the farmers are
yielding more production and gaining
higher profits at a lower price. Today, the
state has achieved double-digit growth
rate in the agrarian sector.
Agriculture is a sector which is deeply
and closely connected with the common
man. Availability of grains, fruits and
vegetables at an affordable price is the
pursuit of the government. For this, the
government has created a direct market
by eliminating the middlemen between
the vegetables and fruits producers and
customers. The agriculture department
has made a provision for farmers to come
to school premises on holidays to put up
their sales. Doing so, the customers will
get varieties of vegetables and fruits at the
specified place at very fair prices. This
initiative has received a good response.
People are happy with this and the
farmers are also getting a reasonable
price.
The Government of Gujarat has always
adopted various types of schemes/
strategies to encourage the farmers.
Taking this forward, we decided under
the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna that
the farmers will need to pay only 2%
premium in place of the earlier 5%
premium for the annual commercial and
annual horticulture crop for the Kharif
season and the remaining 3% will be paid
by the state government. All the farmers
of Gujarat are extremely content with this
decision of the government. The
insurance claim worth Rs 1795 crore for
the year 2015 has already been paid to
3.61 lakh farmers. Earlier, due to
accidental damage of crops young
farmers were abandoning agriculture to
seek other livelihood options. But, now
the decision taken by the government has
provided them with a sense of security
against the possibility of a bad crop. The
Gujarat Government has always stood by
their side. The government is fully
committed to the development of farmers
and will continually work to improve the
state of Gujarat in the agricultural sector,
this is the conviction with which
Chimanbhai Sapariya addresses all the
farmers of the state.
Chimanbhai also holds the portfolio of
energy. His dedication and passion to
serve the people with the best has
reflected in the growth in energy sector
too. The Government of Gujarat has
taken a revolutionary decision to provide
another electricity connection to the
farmers in addition to the existing one.
The farmers of the state are very happy
with this. Being the Minister of
Agriculture and Energy, he considered
that it is his moral obligation to overcome
the problems of the farmers. They had
received multiple complaints from the
farmers that they were unable to provide
proper irrigation to their crops due to
erratic rainfall. For instance, Kutch and
Saurashtra are water scarce areas.
Though the big farmers have even 15
horsepower motor connections, they are
unable to make an optimum use of this
motor just because of the scarcity of
water in the well. This forces them to drill
bore wells and install additional 7.5 HP
motors. But earlier one could run only a
single motor per connection and as a
result the electricity officers penalized
the farmers for the electricity theft. They
had received complaints from many
farmers that in-spite of paying their
electricity bills on time, they have to pay
the penalties. So, they resolved this
problem by providing the farmers with an
arrangement to run two motors on a
single connection, and the farmers are
happy to get this relief. Under this
policy, if a farmer has a survey number of
more than 8 acre of land, then it is
adjudicated that he can operate two
motors on a single electrical connection.
It has been decided in consultation with
senior officials of Agriculture department
a n d p r o f e s s o r s o f A g r i c u l t u r e
Universities that it will be necessary to
have more than 8 acres of land for the
second connection. This revolutionary
decision will bring a radical change in
Gujarat's agriculture and the lives of the
farmers in the future.
The Government of Gujarat was the
best performer under the Ujala Yojna of
the central government . Gujarat
demonstrated excellent implementation
of many other schemes launched by the
central government. Ujala Yojna was
conceptualized by PM Narendra Modi.
When he was the chief minister of
Gujarat, he concentrated on the energy
saving and as a result, today the state of
Gujarat has become a power surplus. A
massive push is being delivered through
the Ujala Yojana. The LED bulbs which
earlier cost Rs 300-350, are now being
made available at merely Rs 70. Serious
effort is being made to create awareness
regarding power saving among the
citizens. The people of the country have
enthusiastically welcomed the schemes
and drives launched by the PM. Thus the
credit for the success of Ujala Yojna also
goes to the Public.
Talking about Gujarat, the State has
created a strong identity in electrification.
This is the reason why the Ujala Yojana of
PM Narendra Modi was heart i ly
welcomed by Gujarat and prompt results
followed. Gujarat government has
provided LED bulbs at mere Rs. 65. In all,
3 .1 Crore LED bulbs have been
distributed across Gujarat till date. One
can imagine the amount of electricity
being saved as a result of this. Recently at
the Kisan Sammelan on the 25th of
January, 20 volt tube lights were
distributed among the farmers. These
tube lights cost approximately 700-800
rupees in the market but the government
is making them available at just Rs 210.
Similarly the commonly available fans
consume 80-90 volts and cost Rs 1800-
1900, but the Gujarat Government is
providing fans for Rs 1110 that consume
only 50 volts. These are some of the ways
in which the state is working to
conserving electricity.
Gujarat is now using LED streetlights
in its Corporations and Municipal
Corporations. Gujarat is well known for
its innovative ideas. This is what makes it
a role model for other states. Street lights,
although consume a lot of electricity, are
indispensable. Hence it is important to
make them energy efficient. Use of LED
streetlight is one of the best ways to
achieve this efficiency as against using
the 200- 250 volt light bulbs. For this
purpose, the state has distributed LED
streetlights in 8 Municipal Corporations
and 152 Municipalities of the state. If
India is to become a power surplus nation,
a lot of such power conservation
initiatives will have to be implemented.
In spite of problems like water scarcity,
Gujarat is a power surplus state. This is no
less than a miracle. This miracle is a
testament to the determined governance
by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He
has proved that development is possible
despite limited resources. Gujarat used to
produce about 6 to 6.5 thousand
megawatt of electricity in 1995 through
the use of coal, lignite, hydro and
naphtha. To ensure availability of
electricity to farmers across the state, he
adopted the idea of power planning. As a
result of timely implementation of this
plan, Gujarat has emerged as a power
surplus state. Today, the state generates
25,256 MW of electricity through both
conventional and unconventional means
while its demand stands at mere 15,000-
15,500 MW. Gujarat will remain power
surplus even if its annual consumption
grows by 6% till 2022.•
VISIONARIES VISIONARIES
46 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 47
first political post of his career was that of
the Chairman of the Seva Sahakari
Mandali. Following this, he was elected
to run the municipality of Jam Jodhpur.
He has travelled to countries like Japan,
Germany and the U.S and learned of the
various different types of agricultural
techniques utilized there. Many of these
experiences have influenced Gujarat's
Agricultural Policy 2016. In various
parts of the world, new agricultural
techniques are constantly being created.
Today, in the more developed parts of the
world, modern techniques such as drip
irrigation, green house, net house and
utilizing high quality seeds are being
utilized. All these were taken as
i n s p i r a t i o n w h i l e c r e a t i n g t h e
Agricultural Policy 2016. His aim was to
give farmers maximum benefits, at the
least possible expenditure.
The state government has taken
agriculture of Gujarat to a new height by
giving it a modern form. Time and
patience is required to change any
tradition. The agricultural techniques are
age old in our country. Farmers don't
receive the best output due to the
changing environment and climate.
Recognizing this, PM Narendra Modi
l aunched severa l commendable
initiatives, plans and campaigns to
transform the traditional agricultural
techniques into modern agriculture. In
2005, he started the agricultural festival
Krishi Mahotsav to provide the
agricultural sector with a new medium of
revenue generation and doubling the
farmers' income. Under this campaign,
farmers are also being made aware about
the modern technology by sending
agronomists to the villages. Narendra
Modi discussed with agricultural
scientists, the option of chemical
fertilizer. The scientists suggested that
required amount of fertilizer should be
used after getting the soil tested. Thus, he
decided to provide soil health card to the
farmers. Under this programme, farmers
are being conveyed information about the
amount of fertilizers to be used post the
soil testing. Soil health cards not only cut
the farmers' expenses, but also helped
prevent damage to the soil from chemical
fertilizers. Apart from this, the state also
organises “Krishi Melas” – agricultural
fa i r s , where in they provide the
information pertaining to the various
modern techniques of agriculture to the
farmers.
Similarly, new seeds as well as
advanced techniques that are being
researched at agricultural universities are
also provided to the farmers through
agricultural fairs and the farmers are
yielding more production and gaining
higher profits at a lower price. Today, the
state has achieved double-digit growth
rate in the agrarian sector.
Agriculture is a sector which is deeply
and closely connected with the common
man. Availability of grains, fruits and
vegetables at an affordable price is the
pursuit of the government. For this, the
government has created a direct market
by eliminating the middlemen between
the vegetables and fruits producers and
customers. The agriculture department
has made a provision for farmers to come
to school premises on holidays to put up
their sales. Doing so, the customers will
get varieties of vegetables and fruits at the
specified place at very fair prices. This
initiative has received a good response.
People are happy with this and the
farmers are also getting a reasonable
price.
The Government of Gujarat has always
adopted various types of schemes/
strategies to encourage the farmers.
Taking this forward, we decided under
the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna that
the farmers will need to pay only 2%
premium in place of the earlier 5%
premium for the annual commercial and
annual horticulture crop for the Kharif
season and the remaining 3% will be paid
by the state government. All the farmers
of Gujarat are extremely content with this
decision of the government. The
insurance claim worth Rs 1795 crore for
the year 2015 has already been paid to
3.61 lakh farmers. Earlier, due to
accidental damage of crops young
farmers were abandoning agriculture to
seek other livelihood options. But, now
the decision taken by the government has
provided them with a sense of security
against the possibility of a bad crop. The
Gujarat Government has always stood by
their side. The government is fully
committed to the development of farmers
and will continually work to improve the
state of Gujarat in the agricultural sector,
this is the conviction with which
Chimanbhai Sapariya addresses all the
farmers of the state.
Chimanbhai also holds the portfolio of
energy. His dedication and passion to
serve the people with the best has
reflected in the growth in energy sector
too. The Government of Gujarat has
taken a revolutionary decision to provide
another electricity connection to the
farmers in addition to the existing one.
The farmers of the state are very happy
with this. Being the Minister of
Agriculture and Energy, he considered
that it is his moral obligation to overcome
the problems of the farmers. They had
received multiple complaints from the
farmers that they were unable to provide
proper irrigation to their crops due to
erratic rainfall. For instance, Kutch and
Saurashtra are water scarce areas.
Though the big farmers have even 15
horsepower motor connections, they are
unable to make an optimum use of this
motor just because of the scarcity of
water in the well. This forces them to drill
bore wells and install additional 7.5 HP
motors. But earlier one could run only a
single motor per connection and as a
result the electricity officers penalized
the farmers for the electricity theft. They
had received complaints from many
farmers that in-spite of paying their
electricity bills on time, they have to pay
the penalties. So, they resolved this
problem by providing the farmers with an
arrangement to run two motors on a
single connection, and the farmers are
happy to get this relief. Under this
policy, if a farmer has a survey number of
more than 8 acre of land, then it is
adjudicated that he can operate two
motors on a single electrical connection.
It has been decided in consultation with
senior officials of Agriculture department
a n d p r o f e s s o r s o f A g r i c u l t u r e
Universities that it will be necessary to
have more than 8 acres of land for the
second connection. This revolutionary
decision will bring a radical change in
Gujarat's agriculture and the lives of the
farmers in the future.
The Government of Gujarat was the
best performer under the Ujala Yojna of
the central government . Gujarat
demonstrated excellent implementation
of many other schemes launched by the
central government. Ujala Yojna was
conceptualized by PM Narendra Modi.
When he was the chief minister of
Gujarat, he concentrated on the energy
saving and as a result, today the state of
Gujarat has become a power surplus. A
massive push is being delivered through
the Ujala Yojana. The LED bulbs which
earlier cost Rs 300-350, are now being
made available at merely Rs 70. Serious
effort is being made to create awareness
regarding power saving among the
citizens. The people of the country have
enthusiastically welcomed the schemes
and drives launched by the PM. Thus the
credit for the success of Ujala Yojna also
goes to the Public.
Talking about Gujarat, the State has
created a strong identity in electrification.
This is the reason why the Ujala Yojana of
PM Narendra Modi was heart i ly
welcomed by Gujarat and prompt results
followed. Gujarat government has
provided LED bulbs at mere Rs. 65. In all,
3 .1 Crore LED bulbs have been
distributed across Gujarat till date. One
can imagine the amount of electricity
being saved as a result of this. Recently at
the Kisan Sammelan on the 25th of
January, 20 volt tube lights were
distributed among the farmers. These
tube lights cost approximately 700-800
rupees in the market but the government
is making them available at just Rs 210.
Similarly the commonly available fans
consume 80-90 volts and cost Rs 1800-
1900, but the Gujarat Government is
providing fans for Rs 1110 that consume
only 50 volts. These are some of the ways
in which the state is working to
conserving electricity.
Gujarat is now using LED streetlights
in its Corporations and Municipal
Corporations. Gujarat is well known for
its innovative ideas. This is what makes it
a role model for other states. Street lights,
although consume a lot of electricity, are
indispensable. Hence it is important to
make them energy efficient. Use of LED
streetlight is one of the best ways to
achieve this efficiency as against using
the 200- 250 volt light bulbs. For this
purpose, the state has distributed LED
streetlights in 8 Municipal Corporations
and 152 Municipalities of the state. If
India is to become a power surplus nation,
a lot of such power conservation
initiatives will have to be implemented.
In spite of problems like water scarcity,
Gujarat is a power surplus state. This is no
less than a miracle. This miracle is a
testament to the determined governance
by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He
has proved that development is possible
despite limited resources. Gujarat used to
produce about 6 to 6.5 thousand
megawatt of electricity in 1995 through
the use of coal, lignite, hydro and
naphtha. To ensure availability of
electricity to farmers across the state, he
adopted the idea of power planning. As a
result of timely implementation of this
plan, Gujarat has emerged as a power
surplus state. Today, the state generates
25,256 MW of electricity through both
conventional and unconventional means
while its demand stands at mere 15,000-
15,500 MW. Gujarat will remain power
surplus even if its annual consumption
grows by 6% till 2022.•
VISIONARIES VISIONARIES
46 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017 April, 2017 • the GUJARAT | 47
UPCOMING EVENTS
Shala PraveshotsavThe programme will involve the efforts of the
Chief Minis ter, Cabinet , Par l iamentry
Secretaries, society leaders, Government office
bearers, IAS officers, officials of Indian Police
Services and Forest Services, District and State
level class-1 officers (2307 'karmayogis' in total)
who are allotted 15 different villages to carry out
various activities. They push up people's
participation in making primary education more
quality and result oriented, and to keep up with
Gujarat's goal of 100% enrolment.
Krishi MahotsavMoving towards the second green revolution, the State
aimed to double the income of farmers in five years. This
was the idea behind the introduction of Krushi Mahotsav
in Gujarat by the State Government as an innovative
approach in agriculture. Many good results have been
obtained through this after the month long period of Krishi
Mahotsav.
Agriculture Scientists and officers provide guidance to
farmers about scientific farming, organic farming, farm
mechanisation, micro irrigation, crop value addition and
agriculture related information as well as provide
knowledge of government scheme. in additions, they
provide free kit distribution to small farmers during Krishi
Mahotsav.
Gujarat Foundation DayGujarat celebrates May 1st as the foundation day,
the day in which Gujarat was formed as a state
parted from Maharashtra. It was the day on which
Gujarat earned its identity as a state of people
speaking Gujarati language with numerous rich
and varied dialects.
The state celebrates this day with vigour each year
as a grand state-level function at various districts
every year and not just the state capital. This year,
Gujarat Gaurav Day will be celebrated in
Ahmedabad district in presence of Chief Minister
Vijay Rupani.
THE BRIGHT FUTURE OF AN EQUAL,
EMPOWERED AND PROGRESSIVE SOCIETY
48 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017
UPCOMING EVENTS
Shala PraveshotsavThe programme will involve the efforts of the
Chief Minis ter, Cabinet , Par l iamentry
Secretaries, society leaders, Government office
bearers, IAS officers, officials of Indian Police
Services and Forest Services, District and State
level class-1 officers (2307 'karmayogis' in total)
who are allotted 15 different villages to carry out
various activities. They push up people's
participation in making primary education more
quality and result oriented, and to keep up with
Gujarat's goal of 100% enrolment.
Krishi MahotsavMoving towards the second green revolution, the State
aimed to double the income of farmers in five years. This
was the idea behind the introduction of Krushi Mahotsav
in Gujarat by the State Government as an innovative
approach in agriculture. Many good results have been
obtained through this after the month long period of Krishi
Mahotsav.
Agriculture Scientists and officers provide guidance to
farmers about scientific farming, organic farming, farm
mechanisation, micro irrigation, crop value addition and
agriculture related information as well as provide
knowledge of government scheme. in additions, they
provide free kit distribution to small farmers during Krishi
Mahotsav.
Gujarat Foundation DayGujarat celebrates May 1st as the foundation day,
the day in which Gujarat was formed as a state
parted from Maharashtra. It was the day on which
Gujarat earned its identity as a state of people
speaking Gujarati language with numerous rich
and varied dialects.
The state celebrates this day with vigour each year
as a grand state-level function at various districts
every year and not just the state capital. This year,
Gujarat Gaurav Day will be celebrated in
Ahmedabad district in presence of Chief Minister
Vijay Rupani.
THE BRIGHT FUTURE OF AN EQUAL,
EMPOWERED AND PROGRESSIVE SOCIETY
48 | the GUJARAT • April, 2017
To,
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Visit: http://www.gujaratinformation.net
www.facebook.com/gujaratinformation.official
www.twitter.com/infogujarat
COLOURS OF HOLI, TRIBES OF KAVANTCOME TOGETHER IN
GHER FAIR
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