"Now that the concept of Smart Cities has reached Smart Villages, the government decided to make 300 villages self-reliant, clean and hygienic during this year," she said in an official release here today.
Patel was in Chhotaudepur town of the tribal-dominated district, about 100 kms from here to attend state-level Foundation Day celebrations. Gujarat Governor O P Kohli will also attend the event later in the day.
Announcing a slew of measures on the occasion, Patel in her message said, "the government will set up a Tribal university in the Narmada district, over 100 smart Ashram shalas, 10 new hostels for tribal girl students at a cost of Rs 3 crore, besides 'Samras' hostels at a cost of Rs 10 crore."
This is in addition to providing 300 sq m land and Rs 5 lakh assistance to milk societies run by women to construct milk houses, besides providing chilling centres, milking machines and chaff cutters to 2.50 lakh Sakhi Mandals (Self-Help Groups) of 35 lakh women.
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To realise the goal of health for all, Patel said, "we have started certain key schemes like screening of 78 lakh women to test breast, cervical and mouth cancer besides treatment of 1,018 women cancer patients in super speciality hospitals free-of-cost, relief for poor and middle-class families under Amritam-Ma Yojna."
"The government has earmarked Rs 27,000 crore in the
current financial year for farmers, agriculture and allied sectors, including loan up to Rs 3 lakh with 1 per cent interest for Rabi crop.
"Rs 9,500 crore for drinking and irrigation water, Rs 5,200 crore for filling up dams in Saurashtra, Rs 765 crore for drip irrigation in Rs 3 lakh hectares and Rs 495 crore for the Prime Minister's Crop Insurance Scheme," she said.
"Cleanliness is our culture and Gujarat is poised to set an example before the nation. Gujarat has alone built 70 per cent of toilets built in the country. We resolve to ensure not a single village remains without toilet," she said.
Gujarat has also shown the way to the nation in door-to-door waste collection, fulfilling the dream of building house for urban and rural poor, she added.
"The government has introduced Lok Samvad Setu to ensure at least 90 per cent of people's problems are solved at complainant level," she added.
"We have started 'Mukhya Mantri Yuva Swavalambi Yojna' to provide equal opportunity, economic assistance and other facilities for them to pursue studies. We are providing textbooks, uniform and scholarships to 92 lakh children under this scheme and also Rs 35.42 crore assistance to meritorious students of the state for higher studies," the Chief minister said.
(Reopens BOM 16)
The BJP government in the state has also been under attack over flogging of Dalits in Una village by cow vigilantes.
Congress and other Opposition parties have unleashed a nationwide attack on the BJP and its dispensations at the state and the Centre over the issue.
Thousands yesterday converged in Ahmedabad and took out a rally where the Dalits were called upon to "send a strong message" to the Gujarat government ahead of the 2017 Assembly polls.