Gandhinagar, July 19 (IANS) Urban Development Year 2025 was celebrated in Ahmedabad on Saturday in the presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. Various development projects were inaugurated under the Urban Development Year 2025 celebrations at a programme organised by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) at Tagore Hall in Paldi.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel congratulated the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and all the citizens for receiving the award of the cleanest city in the country and said that it is a matter of pride to get the first place in the country in the category of cities with a population of more than 10 lakh.
Patel said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has told the country and the world how visionary leadership, taking everyone along, can make a subject like cleanliness a big mass movement.
“Today in the country, everyone, including children and the elderly, has become aware of cleanliness. Cleanliness has become a natural instinct today. The mantra of ‘Swachhata Hi Prabhuta’ is resonating from small villages to metropolises,” the Chief Minister added.
He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inculcated in everyone the vision of seeing the challenges of increasing population and expansion of urbanisation in cities not as a problem but as an opportunity. The Chief Minister added that as the then Chief Minister of the state, Narendrabhai had started effective urban management by celebrating Urban Development Year in 2005.
Discussing further on the subject of urban development, Bhupendra Patel said, “The work done to lay a strong foundation for rapid urban development from the Urban Development Year of 2005, we have made it the basis of world-class city development by celebrating Urban Development Year in 2025. When Ahmedabad is getting ready to host world-class games in the coming days, it is also necessary to ensure that infrastructure facilities are created in the city according to them. Today’s programme is a programme to give direction to this vision.”
Referring to the various development projects inaugurated under the programme, the Chief Minister said that in today’s programme, the Ahmedabad Policy for Good Construction Practices and Urban Greening Policy have been announced. With the implementation of these two policies, the citizens will get a sustainable, clean and green environment. Today, a new gift of Moon Trail Park, the Glow Garden, is being added to the riverfront.
“Towards the Prime Minister’s goal of a net-zero carbon footprint, we have given special emphasis on e-mobility,” he said. Patel added that today, the country’s first on-route solar-powered electric charging station, which will make e-mobility more robust, is becoming operational in Ahmedabad.
He said that most of the projects inaugurated in today’s programme are going to accelerate urban development along with environmental protection. He added that more than 70 lakh trees have been sown in Ahmedabad city in the last three years, and about 320 oxygen parks-urban forests have been prepared in different zones. We have to make cities a growth hub as well as a green hub.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel further said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has resolved to build a developed India by 2047. To fulfil this resolution, Gujarat has developed cities as growth hubs with the mantra of ‘Earning Well, Living Well’ and has prepared a roadmap for ‘Viksit Gujarat@2047’. A plan has been prepared to develop cities as growth hubs for the holistic development of cities and surrounding areas.
He said, “We have to build a developed Gujarat for a developed India@2047.” The Chief Minister requested everyone to commit themselves to making cities, metropolises and villages green, clean and hygienic and to build developed and climate-resilient cities with green growth.
On the occasion, Ahmedabad Mayor Pratibhaben Jain said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the resolution of Developed India@2047, under which he has called for celebrating the Urban Development Year. In this direction, this programme is being organised today under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.
Jain added that Ahmedabad has got the distinction of being the number 1 clean city of India in the Swachhta Survey 2024-25. This achievement is the result of the Swachh Bharat Mission and the commitment of the citizens towards cleanliness.
On this occasion, Mayor Pratibhaben Jain and Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation Commissioner Banchanidhi Pani presented the awards received under the Swachhta Survey to the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister honoured the Safai Praharis who did excellent cleaning work in Ahmedabad city and made a fundamental contribution to the cleanliness of the city for this glorious achievement.
A large number of citizens, including Ahmedabad MP, local MLA, Deputy Mayor Jatin Patel, Chairman of Municipal Standing Committee Devang Dani, councillors, organisation officials, and Municipal officials, were present at the programme.
–IANS
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