Gandhinagar: Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel today allocated a total of Rs. 537.21 crore for public welfare and development works in Municipal Corporations, newly formed Municipal Corporations, and Municipalities, based on proposals submitted by the Urban Development Department.

As part of this initiative, he granted in-principle approval for Rs. 309.72 crore to four Municipal Corporations—Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, and Bhavnagar—under various components of the Swarnim Jayanti Mukhyamantri Urban Development Scheme.

Accordingly, Rs. 3.98 crore will be allocated to Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation for 10 private society public participation projects. Bhavnagar Municipal Corporation will receive Rs. 35 crore for infrastructure enhancements, including drainage networks, water supply, roads, and street lighting. Additionally, Rs. 212.50 crore has been allocated for pipeline shifting works related to water supply in Rajkot, in conjunction with the National Highways Authority of India’s (NHAI) ongoing project to upgrade the Rajkot-Jetpur road from four lanes to six lanes.

Furthermore, the Chief Minister has sanctioned Rs. 58.47 crore as a grant to Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation for the procurement of 260 electric buses and seven electric double-decker buses under the Chief Minister Urban Bus Transport Scheme.

For the newly formed Porbandar Municipal Corporation, Rs. 25 crore has been approved, comprising Rs. 13.35 crore for city beautification and sanitation and Rs. 11.69 crore for administrative capacity-building efforts.

Among other municipal allocations, Visnagar has been granted Rs. 1.52 crore for 10 CC road and paver block projects under private society public participation. Palanpur has received Rs. 11.61 lakh for 166 household sewer connections to the main sewer line and Rs. 55.86 crore for stormwater drainage work. Siddhpur has been allocated Rs. 3.56 crore for new water works and drainage pumping machinery, and Rs. 1.52 crore for CC roads and paver blocks under outgrowth area development. Additionally, Rs. 1.91 crore has been approved for Tankara, and Rs. 5.99 crore for Keshod for road construction.

Under the Chief Minister’s Urban Road Scheme, Rs. 131.76 crore has been earmarked for Dwarka Municipality. This will include a new four-lane road connecting the Rupen Bandar exit from the National Highway, approximately two kilometers east of Dwarka city, with associated infrastructure such as rainwater drainage, footpaths, and cycle tracks. The project also includes the construction of a bypass ring road with minor bridges and other essential facilities from the Rukmini Mata Temple in Dwarka.

These developments will benefit pilgrims visiting the Dwarkadhish Temple and tourists traveling to destinations such as Shivrajpur, Nageshwar, Bet Dwarka, and Okha, enhancing transportation facilities and easing traffic congestion in Dwarka town.

Additionally, the Chief Minister has allocated Rs. 1.70 crore as an additional grant for resurfacing roads damaged by the monsoon in Mandvi Municipality, Kutch district. DeshGujarat