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Gujarat to mark 24 years of Modi’s chief ministership with week-long celebration
Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel will inaugurate the celebrations on October 7 at the State Legislative Assembly
Ahmedabad: Gujarat will observe Vikas Saptah from October 7 to 15 to mark 24 years since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office as the state’s 14th chief minister on October 7, 2001.
“The celebration will focus on 13 key topics, involving 10 state departments, with each day dedicated to a different theme. The events have been designed to include everyone--youth, women, and farmers-- so that all sections of society can learn about and benefit from Gujarat’s development initiatives,” Gujarat health minister and spokesperson Rushikesh Patel told media persons in Gandhinagar.
Chief minister Bhupendra Patel will inaugurate the celebrations on October 7 at the Legislative Assembly, where ministers and officials will take the Bharat Vikas Pratigya. The pledge will be administered simultaneously across collectorate offices, government institutions, schools, and colleges. Citizens can participate through the My.Gov portal. An exhibition of government schemes will open at Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad, alongside cultural programs, online quiz and essay competitions, and lecture series, the minister said.
A special podcast with cricketers Hardik Pandya and Tilak Verma will also be organised. A brainstorming session on youth participation will be held at Maharaja Sayajirao University, Vadodara, bringing together over 1,000 students to reflect on and strengthen the resolve for Viksit Bharat@2047. Similar programs will also take place at 50 other locations across the state during the week, the minister said.
“Students from various colleges have also expressed their gratitude through postcards, coordinated by the Higher and Technical Education Department, celebrating the Prime Minister’s Swadeshi Abhiyan, Operation Sindoor, GST reforms, and initiatives to make India a global leader,” he said.
Members of cooperative institutions will send over one crore postcards to Prime Minister Modi on October 7, expressing gratitude for reforms in the cooperative sector, GST amendments, and schemes including Ayushman Bharat, direct benefit transfer for financial inclusion, and the Solar Rooftop Scheme, he added. These postcards have been prepared since September 22. Educational institutions have contributed an additional 4.5 lakh postcards. A postcard exhibition will be held at Sabarmati Riverfront.
On October 8, job fairs across 33 districts will distribute employment letters to 50,000 youth and provisional placement offers to 25,000 Industrial Training Institute students. Over 100 agreements will be signed with industrial houses for upgrading ITI facilities.
The Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference in Mehsana on October 9-10 will feature an MSME conclave, entrepreneurship fair, startup hackathon, and discussions on regional contributions to the Viksit Gujarat 2047 vision, the minister said.
October 11 will focus on rural development in Rajkot, with benefits distributed to scheme beneficiaries and honors for top-performing village councils. Foundation stones for community centres will be laid across all village councils. October 12-13 will see urban development programs including shopping festivals and public art installations. October 14 marks Krushi Vikas Divas with the Ravi Krishi Mahotsav featuring crop seminars, farmer guidance sessions, and animal health camps.
The celebrations conclude on October 15 at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar with the launch of development projects worth ₹3,326 crore. The Health Department will register 10,000 women under the Namo Shree Yojana, distribute Ayushman cards to 14,000 senior citizens above 70, and inaugurate 180 TB diagnostic machines during the week.
Under Vay Vandana Yojana, Ayushman cards will be distributed to 14,000 beneficiaries above the age of 70, as part of the celebrations. During Vikas Saptah, 180 TrueNAT machines for TB diagnosis will be inaugurated by local MLAs and office bearers. CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) training will be conducted through 24 medical colleges, and special programs on mental health will be organised on 10 October, World Mental Health Day. Plans include the establishment of 34 model CHCs, one in each district, along with health awareness initiatives through podcasts. Efforts under the Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar Abhiyan (SNSPA) will be showcased through an e-book.
