Gandhinagar, March 30 (IANS) Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Monday launched a series of infrastructure and irrigation projects aimed at improving access to basic services and agricultural support in Gujarat’s tribal regions, covering road connectivity, public facilities, and large-scale water supply schemes.
The state government has sanctioned works worth Rs 362.57 crore under the ‘Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana’ to strengthen infrastructure across the tribal belt stretching from Ambaji to Umargam, a government statement said.
The approved package includes 293 projects, comprising 325.81 km of roads to connect tribal villages with schools and primary health centres, along with related structural construction works.
Officials said the decision was taken to prioritise the holistic development of tribal areas and to make basic facilities more accessible at the village level.
“The works were approved to ensure that essential services such as education and healthcare reach tribal communities easily and promptly under the scheme, inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” the statement said.
The government stated that the construction of new roads would make it easier for students to reach schools, while also providing faster access to nearby health centres for patients, particularly in situations of emergency.
In a separate development, the Chief Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for irrigation projects worth over Rs 1,613 crore in the tribal areas of Tapi district.
The projects include works under the Ukai reservoir-based lift irrigation schemes covering Songadh, Uchchhal and Nizar, as well as the Bori Savar lift irrigation scheme based on the Tapi river.
“These projects will ensure irrigation facilities for about 78,500 acres of land across 165 villages in Songadh, Uchchhal, Nizar, Vyara and Kukarmunda talukas,” officials said.
The state government added that it is committed to providing adequate water to tribal farmers in remote areas and to supporting their economic progress.
–IANS
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