Gujarat CM distributes titles of 15,000-acre forest land to 7,000 families in south Gujarat

Valsad, 21 September, 2014

Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel today handed over 15,000 ha forest land titles, worth approximately Rs.100-crore, to 7,000 families of six predominantly tribal districts in south Gujarat at a function at Nanapodha village in the remote Kaparda taluka in Valsad district.

She also distributed assistance of Rs.11-crore to 4,370 beneficiaries, and Rs.66.40-lakh to five women primary milk co-operative society, comprising 176 members, to buy cattle.

Speaking on the occasion, she said the state government is committed to make tribal people financially self-reliant, provide benefits of various schemes to them on a priority basis, and bring them in the meanstream. She said it was the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi who had initiative the move to empower tribal people, to develop the state with ‘sauna saath, sauna vikas’.

Mrs Patel said that the Prime Minister’s ‘Dhan Jan Yojna’ for 85 lakh have-nots and poor in Gujarat, to open bank accounts for them as economic security, would be completed by December 31, 2014.

She wished the economic empowerment of tribal people be also made a campaign to provide toilet in every home. The Vasad district has started a toll free number 1800-200-1004 for women folk to give a missed call to avail the facility. It is high time to eradicate the shame in which the country lived even after 67 years of Independence. She thanked the industrial houses and voluntary organisations of the nearby Valsad and Vapi towns to providing Rs.5-crore to build toilets.

The Chief Minister inaugurated an exhibition of about 40 types of cost-effective and convenient water-closets on the occasion.

Speaking on the long-felt need for land titles to tribal people, Forest and Environment Minister Ganpat Vasava, who is also the Guardian Minister for Valsad district, said the successive governments in the past neglected the responsibility. He praised the district administration’s effort to achieve the target of distribution.

Gujarat Legislative Assembly’s In-charge Speaker Mangubhai Patel praised the Gujarat’s first chief minister Anandiben Patel’s working style. He said the Nanapodha function would remain etched in the memory of people for long time. He appealed to the tribal people to stay away from addictions and superstitions.

Those who spoke on the occasion included ex-MP Bharatsinh Parare, Tribal Welfare Secretary R.C. Meena and Collector Vikrant Pade.

Two Congress MLAs attend the event

Two Congress MLAs attended Chief Minister’s event today at Nanapondha. Generally Congress leaders avoid attendance in state government events, but two Congress MLAs representing Kaprada(Jitubhai) and Dharampur(Ishwarbhai) were part of the programme today. It should be mentioned that two more Congress MLAs representing Chhota Udepur and Naswadi had also attended the state government’s programme recently in Gandhinagar in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.