Gandhinagar: The Gujarat government has amended the provisions of its “Vatan Prem Yojana” to boost public participation and accelerate village development by widening the scope of eligible projects and revising the funding structure to attract greater support from donors and non-resident Gujaratis (NRGs).

The decision was taken at a State Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Wednesday. Announcing the decisions, government spokesperson and Minister Jitubhai Vaghani said the changes aim to make Gujarat’s villages more prosperous and equipped with modern public infrastructure.

Under the revised scheme, individuals originally associated with a village but currently residing outside the district, state, or country will be encouraged to contribute voluntarily toward the development of their native places. Any individual, institution, trust, or group having an affinity with a village will also now be eligible to participate as a donor.

Vaghani said the partnership between donor contributions and state government grants would help create quality public facilities and strengthen grassroots development.

The government has expanded the scheme to include more than 20 categories of public welfare and development works. These have been divided into Category A and Category B, with separate funding patterns depending on whether projects are executed through government agencies or agencies chosen by donors.

For projects implemented through government agencies, the government will contribute 60% and donors 40% for Category A works, while Category B projects will receive 40% government support and 60% donor contribution.

If projects are executed through donor-selected agencies, the government’s contribution will be 40% for Category A and 20% for Category B works, with donors funding the remaining amount.

The expanded list of works includes smart classrooms, computer labs, and libraries in government schools; health centres and veterinary clinics; anganwadis and midday meal kitchens; as well as roads, drainage systems, street lighting, CCTV infrastructure, wastewater treatment facilities, lake beautification, solar rooftop systems, ST bus stands, milk cooperative buildings, and sanitation facilities.

Officials clarified that standalone projects such as parks or lake deepening will not qualify under the scheme.

To speed up implementation, the government has introduced a three-tier approval mechanism. District-level committees headed by District Development Officers (DDOs) will approve projects up to ₹20 lakh, HOD-level committees will clear projects between ₹20 lakh and ₹1 crore, while department-level committees headed by the Principal Secretary or Secretary of the Panchayat Department will approve works exceeding ₹1 crore.

Vaghani said the Cabinet approved the amendments with immediate effect and expressed confidence that the revised provisions would encourage greater participation from NRGs and local donors while helping transform Gujarat’s villages into “Global Villages.” DeshGujarat