Surat, Jan 31
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said on Saturday that, in the month of January, Gujarat has recorded development works worth more than Rs 4,870 crore undertaken across the state.
He described the momentum as a reflection of the government's commitment to time-bound governance and improved ease of living.
Addressing a programme in Surat, Patel inaugurated development works worth Rs 173.78 crore by the Surat Municipal Corporation and laid the foundation stones for further projects valued at Rs 169 crore, together amounting to Rs 342 crore.
"Gujarat has embraced the work culture envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where planning and execution are so time-bound that foundation stones and inaugurations take place within the same government tenure," the Chief Minister said.
He said the scale and speed of development were aimed at directly benefiting citizens. "In the very first month of 2026, projects worth over Rs 4,870 crore have been taken up across the state to enhance the ease of living of our people," Patel said.
During the event, the Chief Minister inaugurated 1,304 redeveloped housing units of the Gotalawadi Tenement in the Katargam area, completed under the Public Housing Redevelopment Scheme-2016 on a public-private partnership basis.
He also conducted a computerised draw to allot the houses to beneficiaries. "Through public participation, these families are now receiving safe, modern, and comfortable homes," he said.
Speaking at the newly constructed Atal Bihari Vajpayee Auditorium in Dabholi, built at a cost of Rs 70 crore, Patel said Surat had become "an excellent model of development, cleanliness and urbanisation" in the country.
He noted that Surat, known as the Diamond and Textile Capital, was also leading in cleanliness, green mobility, and sustainable development.
"The urban development journey that began in 2005 has today made Gujarat a model state of holistic development," he said.
Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi said balanced development across the city was the result of continuous efforts by the government and local administration.
"Every area of Surat is witnessing equal development, whether it is Katargam, Varachha, or Mota Varachha," he said, adding that the state's largest and most advanced library, being built in Katargam at a cost of Rs 70 crore, would be inaugurated within three months.
He also said, "These projects are for future generations, and protecting and maintaining public assets is the duty of every responsible citizen."
Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil said Surat's development pace was exemplary. "A city that was once unclean has today become the number one clean city in the country," he said, adding that the Rs 931 crore Tapi Purification Project had stopped industrial wastewater from Ukai to Surat from entering the Tapi River.
"By treating wastewater, the Municipal Corporation is earning significant revenue, which will increase further in the coming years," he said.
Mayor Daxesh Mavani said Surat Municipal Corporation generated 28.5 per cent of its energy from renewable sources, resulting in annual savings of about Rs 10 crore.
"Our aim is to make Surat a 100 per cent renewable energy Municipal Corporation by 2030," he said.
- IANS
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