Ahmedabad, June 27 (IANS) Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Saturday chaired a ‘Lok Darbar’ in the Sabarmati Assembly area under the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, where he held direct interaction with representatives of residential societies and reviewed local civic issues.
The programme was attended by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.
Residents and society office-bearers raised concerns about roads, drainage systems, stormwater management, drinking water supply, and railway crossings, while also acknowledging ongoing development works in the area.
Addressing the gathering, Shah said: “The Union government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi was extending financial assistance to street vendors in order to support their livelihoods and recognise their contribution to the informal economy. 8,970 street vendors in the Gandhinagar constituency had received loan assistance.”
He recalled his 30-year public life, beginning in 1997, while interacting with residents of Ranip and adjoining areas, and expressed his appreciation for their continued support.
“Development in the region had been continuous and would further accelerate in the coming years. Efforts are underway to develop Ranip West as a key urban centre,” he emphasised.
He further stated that his objective, since being elected to the Lok Sabha, had been to develop the Gandhinagar constituency as the most developed constituency in the country, and said, “progress was being made in that direction through coordinated efforts of the state and local administrations”.
He also noted that various civic infrastructure projects, including community halls, parks, gardens, lakes, roads, libraries and gyms had been developed across the constituency.
“161 village libraries had been established, and another 100 were scheduled for inauguration in August, with around 3.5 lakh books distributed in rural areas,” he said.
He also highlighted welfare initiatives, including a “toy bank” under which 28,000 toys had been collected for distribution to Anganwadi children, and free meals provided by party workers to attendants of patients at Sola Civil and Gandhinagar Civil hospitals.
“Green cover in the constituency had increased by 12.5 per cent, with a further 12 per cent expansion targeted during the monsoon season,” he said.
Officials said that the constituency had recorded significant progress in water conservation through percolation wells and solar rooftop installations, and that 88 per cent of citizens above 70 years of age had been covered under the Ayushman health scheme.
Shah urged residents to participate in plantation drives, solar energy adoption and groundwater conservation initiatives, and called for collective efforts to develop the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency as a “green constituency”.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, in his remarks, said it was a matter of pride for the constituency to be represented by Amit Shah and noted his “continued engagement in development and public welfare activities across the region”.
The meeting was attended by local representatives, including municipal and administrative officials, who participated in discussions on civic issues and development projects.
–IANS
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