Gujarat CM Announces Housing, Road and Nutrition Initiatives on 80th Independence Day

Gandhinagar: Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Saturday announced a series of measures aimed at improving housing, road infrastructure, child nutrition and access to higher education on the occasion of India’s 80th Independence Day.

Among the key announcements, the state government will provide free Ghar Thal plots to eligible families in rural areas by purchasing private land at the village level. The move is aimed at supporting the Centre’s goal of ensuring housing for all and enabling needy rural families to build affordable homes.

The government currently has a scheme under which eligible families living in rural areas are provided Ghar Thal plots free of cost. The decision to purchase private land at the village level is expected to expand the availability of such plots and benefit more eligible families.

₹3,428 Crore for Road Infrastructure

The state government has also announced an allocation of ₹3,428 crore for the renovation and improvement of around 2,010 km of 214 roads under the Roads and Buildings Department.

The works will cover important roads carrying heavy traffic, as well as long State Highways and District Main Roads. The government plans to implement the works through Output and Performance Road Contracts (OPRC) and Performance-Based Maintenance Contracts (PBMC).

Under the existing system, road contractors have a maintenance liability of four years. For roads covered under the new arrangements, this responsibility will be extended to eight to 10 years, with the aim of ensuring better road quality and longer-lasting infrastructure.

The government said the initiative is intended to strengthen road connectivity, improve travel safety and provide smoother roads across Gujarat.

Higher Nutrition Support for Anganwadi Children

The Chief Minister also announced an increase in the daily rate for purchasing ingredients used to prepare hot supplementary nutritious food for children attending Anganwadis.

More than 16.71 lakh children aged three to six years receive hot breakfast as supplementary nutrition at the state’s Anganwadis for 300 days a year. The food is prepared using grains, pulses, vegetables and spices purchased from local markets.

The daily purchase rate per child has now been increased by 67%, from ₹5.10 to ₹8.50. The state government will allocate an additional ₹169 crore for the initiative.

The government said the enhanced allocation is aimed at improving the nutritional intake of children and supporting the development of healthy and strong citizens as part of the vision for Developed Gujarat 2047.

Income Limit Raised for Overseas Education Loans

In another key decision, the government has increased the annual family income limit for youth from unreserved categories seeking loans for higher studies abroad.

Under the overseas education loan scheme administered by the Gujarat Unreserved Educational and Economic Development Corporation, the annual family income ceiling has been raised from ₹6 lakh to ₹10 lakh.

The government said the decision will enable more needy youth from unreserved categories to access financial assistance for overseas higher education and pursue their academic aspirations without being held back by their families’ financial circumstances. DeshGujarat