Speaking with Headlines Today on the sidelines of the India Today Conclave 2010, BJP’s national president Nitin Gadkari said that Modi had a tremendous potential to be a good Prime Minister of the country.

Modi, he said, has the ability, capacity and the potential to lead the country.

Modi is the favourite of all BJP leaders, with BJP patriarch L K Advani and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley never failing to shower praises on him, whenever they get the first opportunity.

Speaking at the India Today Conclave, Gadkari said, “Modi is a role model for development politics. Look at what he has done for Gujarat. A decision on the party’s prime ministerial candidate will be taken by senior leaders and the parliamentary body, but Modi is fully competent,” Gadkari said.

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Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated a newly-constructed state-of-the-art dome-shaped pillar-less Surat International Exhibition and Convention Centre(SIECC) at Sarsana and also opened the five-day seventh trade and industry exhibition Udyog-2010 organized by South Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry(SGCCI)

Modi described Surat as a laboratory of development. Modi said Surat is number one in urban development in the country.

Along with Udyog-2010, the SGCCI has organized a handicraft fair. Modi appealed SGCCI to give a platform to organize a Dangi craft fair.

Over 300 companies from banking, insurance, finance, information technology, embroidery, ancillary products, textiles, engineering, electronics and instrumentation sectors are participating. Renowned companies of China, Korea and USA that manufacture textiles and embroidery machinery are also taking part in the fair.

The story of centre

Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry had signed an MOU with the Gujarat government for this convention centre in year 2003 during Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit. Now this Rs 64 crore International Convention Centre is standing over 1.16 lac square meter land.

Leading Textile industrialist of Surat Shri Arun Jariwala, one of the men behind this centre said the convention centre is not just made out of steel and cement but it is the hard work of 40,000 members of Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry(SGCCI) that has made this centre. Jariwala said the state government has decided to contribute 10% cost of this trade centre which will come at Rs 7 crore. But instead of 10% is the state is ready to contribute Rs 15 crore, then the SGCCI would complete the works of second and third buildings of the centre(auditorium, multi-purpose hall and Centre for excellence building) within next 15 months period.

Jariwala said when the chamber representatives went to the Chief Minister with a proposal of centre, the Chief Minister asked to build it at par with Taiwan Convention centre. Today the centre is ready and it is not less than the trade centre of Germany, Dubai or China in any regard.

He said when ex-Commissioner of Surat Municipal Corporation Shri Jagdishan went to Central Commerce ministry as an officer, he approved four clusters for Gujarat and provided Rs 200 crore for Gems and Jewelery Cluster. As this project could not be completed under prescribed cluster, they transferred the fund to Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industries for Convention centre.

Anthony verges, Rajesh Desai, Nilesh Mandlewala, Paresh patel, Hetal Mehta, Chetan Shah, Ajoy Bhattacharya also worked hard for timely execution of this project.

Have a look at SGCCI at its official website

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday briefed Gujarat assembly about state’s stand on Below Poverty Line(BPL) card list issue that is pending at central level. A BPL card is very important for poorest of the poor class in the country needing medical facility, food and other benefits from various government schemes.

A short video clip presenting Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to youths to contribute 100 hours to state.

A video on Narendra Modi’s womens day function in Vadodara on 6th March, 2010.

Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Narendra Modi, while launching two days celebration of International Women’s Day from Vadodara, on Saturday, said, Under the ambitious Mission Mangalam scheme of Gujarat Government, thousands of women self help groups in the state will be entrusted responsibilities of managing fund in the tune of Rs. 5000 crore .He appealed the Nari-Shakti to play a decisive role in the economic progress of the state. At present the fund of Rs. 400 crore is administered, in the absolute professional manner, by the self help groups, he added.

With a view to ensuring women’s participation in administration as well as to strengthen women empowerment at grass root level, Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Narendra Modi, while addressing a Mega Women’s Convention (Virat Mahila Sammelan) of Central Gujarat in Vadodara, appealed the younger generation of the state to contribute as many as 100 hours during the year long celebration of Swarnim Gujarat. Of these 100 hours, the youth should play a positive role either in the field of which he or she is interested. The youth, he added, can contribute either in the field of education, health, energy conservation or environment.

Thousands of women from Vadodara, Dahod, Godhra, Bharuch, Narmada, and Anand attended the convention that was held at Ansuya Leprosy Hospital ground at Ajwa road in Vadodara.

Shri Narendra Modi also disbursed various welfare schemes to women beneficiaries at this convention. As many as 1731 women of Central Gujarat were given away assets and cash assistance worth Rs. 48.42 lakh under various women welfare and development schemes.

Aiming to encourage women in sports activities, scholarship worth Rs. 5,20,800 were given to 109 sportswomen of Central Gujarat while 126 women were benefited with Rs. 21 lakh 08 thousand cash assistance, under Mata Yashoda Award scheme at the convention. At least 1280 girls were given away savings certificates worth Rs. 8 lakh under Balika Samruddhi Yojna while Rs. 3.5 lakh were given from Mata Yashoda Award Gaurav Fund to seven women.

Women and Child Welfare minister Shrimati Anandiben Patel and Social Justice and Empowerment minister Shri Fakirbhai Vaghela also spoke on the occasion.Three sports women were also awarded with special trophy for their achievement in archery at National level.

The CM also dedicated five Anganwadi Mobile Vans purchased at the cost of Rs. 12, 35,636 for the Anganwadis of Chota Udepur, Dahod, Narmada, Bharuch and panchmahals. As many as 245 trained widows, for self employment, were given away widow aid kits worth Rs. 12.25 lakh. For the first time in the country, Anganwadi workers were given cooker, gas connections and burners.

Parliamentary Secretary Yogesh Patel, Mayor Balkrishna Shukla, MLAs from Vadodara, Narmada and Anand, Sports and Youth Culture secretary Bhagyesh Jha, collector Vijay Nehra, Municipal Commissioner M. K. Das and District Development Officer L. C. Patel were present on the occasion.

The CM will address three more Mega Women Conventions in Rajkot, Surat and Ahmedabad by tomorrow.

Gujarat government spent over Rs 69 lakh on plane and helicopter travel by the state Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Minister of State of Civil Aviation Saurabh Patel said here today.

In a written reply to a question raised by Congress MLA Anil Joshiyara, Patel said that the expenditure on Modi’s plane travel in the last one year till January 31, 2010 worked out to Rs 20,39,158.

A sum of Rs 49,13,965 was spent on his travel by helicopter, he said, adding the state-owned helicopter was also used by other leaders.

The auction of gift articles belonging to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, which began from today, got a good response from bidders, an official said here.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Ashok Singhal met Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi at his bungalow in Gandhinagar on Monday morning.

Both leaders spent an hour discussing on various issues. Shri Singhal arrived in Gujarat on Sunday. Sources told DeshGujarat that Shri Singhal met Modi to invite him to a valedictory ceremony of Kumbh Mela 2010(January 14 to April 28, 2010) in Haridwar.

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today asked ‘Amdavadis’ to be proud of their city and make its presence felt on the global map.

“Today we are celebrating 600 years of city after being named Ahmedabad, but the history of this great city dates long back to the age of Rishi Dadhichi,” Modi said while addressing a function to commemorate 600 years of the city.

“I had asked people of all cities in the state to find out about their city’s birth date, and suggested them to make it a tradition to celebrate it every year,” he said.

“I think it is time that people here consider the city as their own and make a global mark,” the chief minister said.

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today asked ‘Ahmedavadis’ to be proud of their city and make its presence felt on the global map.

“Today we are celebrating 600 years of city after being named Ahmedabad, but the history of this great city dates long back to the age of Rishi Dadhichi,” Modi said while addressing a function to commemorate 600 years of the city.

“I had asked people of all cities in the state to find out about their city’s birth date, and suggested them to make it a tradition to celebrate it every year,” he said.

“I think it is time that people here consider the city as their own and make a global mark,” the chief minister said.