Gandhinagar: Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani today left for six-day Israel visit. This is his first foreign visit after becoming Chief Minister of Gujarat. Focus sectors of this visit will be agriculture, irrigation, water management, waste water treatment plant, desalination plants, aerospace and defence.

The Chief Minister is accompanied by minister of state for agriculture Jaydrathsinh Parmar and eight higher officials of various departments of the government of Gujarat. They are ACS Sanjay Prasad, Principal Secretary JP Gupta, Home Secretary Manoj Agrawal, CM’s secretary Ashiwini Kumar, Gujarat Agro’s MD Muhammad Shahid, Resident Commissioner Arti Kanwar, Agriculture director Bharat Modi and horticulture director Vaghasia

According to a note issued by the government, the main focus of this visit will be agriculture and water management sectors. Exchange of knowledge and experience in these sectors between Gujarat delegation and Israel will be the core part of this visit.Chief Minister and delegation will also hold meeting with senior officials of Israel government.

A delegation led by Rupani will hold meetings with Israel’s agriculture minister, international cooperation minister and economic affairs and industry minister.

Rupani will explore opportunities for mutual cooperation in defence manufacturing sector as part of ‘Make in Gujarat’ during his visits to industrial units of Israel Aerospace Industries, Elbit Systems and Mobileye Corporation.

The delegation will also visit Dan region waste water treatment plant, Sorek desalination plant and Naandan Jain Irrigation plant.

Rupani will also participate in get together function of Indian community living in Israel. He will pay visit to Tel Aviv Yafo Municipality’s command and control centre and diamond bourse.

A meeting between Chief Minister Rupani and winners of Innovation bridge has also been organised.

Rupani left for Delhi at around noon today and boarded a flight to Israel from Delhi. At Delhi airport he was called on by Israel ambassador to India. Ambassador Danial Carmon had visited Gujarat last month to work out the modalities of Chief Minister Rupani’s visit to Israel.

At Ahmedabad airport, several ministers and government officials were present to see off Rupani.

Rupani will return on 1st July.

Rupani has not given the charge of Chief Minister’s post to any minister. He has kept General Administration Department(GAD) with him but distributed responsibilities of rest of the departments among deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel and Education minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama. As per the rule 5(3) of 1990 (Gujarat Sarkar Kankaj Niyamo), chief minister Rupani has for 26 June to 1st July period appointed deputy chief minister Nitin Patel as incharge minister of urban development, climate change, planning, science and technology and ports. While the charge of industry, mines and minerals, petrochemicals and information and technology ministries has been handed over to senior minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama.

DeshGujarat