Ahmedabad, March 15 (IANS) Two tribal districts in Gujarat’s eastern belt received development works worth about Rs 1,100 crore on Sunday, with Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurating and laying foundation stones for projects in Panchmahal district and Dahod district.
The projects included irrigation schemes, road infrastructure, and works related to health, education and water supply, with the state government saying the initiatives were aimed at strengthening development in tribal areas of the state’s eastern region.
During the programme, CM Patel referred to the development vision articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for tribal communities.
“The Prime Minister’s resolve to give priority to the deprived and ensure the holistic development of tribal communities is being realised in Gujarat,” the Chief Minister said.
According to officials, works worth Rs 732 crore covering 112 projects were launched in Panchmahal district, while projects worth Rs 367 crore involving more than 1,200 works were undertaken in Dahod district.
A key project inaugurated during the visit was a lift irrigation pipeline scheme worth about Rs 406 crore designed to carry water from the Panam reservoir to 130 ponds across 79 villages in the talukas of Shehera, Godhra, Kalol and Ghoghamba in Panchmahal district.
Officials said the project would enable irrigation facilities for around 86,000 hectares of land.
Water will be lifted from a height of 236 feet from the reservoir and transported through a distribution pipeline network extending about 205 kilometres.
Addressing the gathering, Patel described water availability as a central factor in development and said irrigation infrastructure in the state’s tribal belt had expanded significantly in recent years.
“From Ambaji to Umargam, irrigation facilities have been provided to 2.23 lakh acres of land through 11 lift irrigation schemes implemented at a cost of Rs 3,160 crore,” he said.
He also referred to the state government’s budgetary allocations for the sector. “In this year’s historic budget of Rs 4.08 lakh crore, a provision of Rs 485 crore has been made for lift irrigation to expand irrigation facilities in tribal areas,” CM Patel said.
The Chief Minister added that irrigation coverage would also be expanded through Narmada-based lift irrigation projects in three tribal districts.
The projects are planned to supply irrigation water to farmers across 51,480 hectares of land in 18 talukas of Panchmahal, Dahod and Chhota Udepur districts.
Patel also urged that Dahod, which is among the aspirational districts by the Prime Minister, should aim to become what he described as an “inspirational district” contributing to the goal of building a developed Gujarat as part of a developed India.
