AHMEDABAD: The college teachers’ association met Gujarat University vice chancellor on Wednesday and handed over a memorandum requesting him to not permit grant-in-aid college administrations to shut down their institutes. The memorandum says that recently teachers had protested against the government’s decision to allow grant-in-aid colleges to merge with private universities following which the government had retracted its decision. However, many such colleges have now applied for closure to the university which may lead to serious problems for the students who come from financially weaker sections of the society and to teachers employed in these colleges too.
Ahmedabad: The college teachers’ association has written to Gujarat University to not permit grant-in-aid college administrations to shut down their institutes. The letter says that recently teachers had protested against the government’s decision to allow grant-in-aid colleges to merge with private universities following which the government had retracted its decision. However, many such colleges have now applied for closure to the university which may lead to serious problems for the students who come from financially weaker sections of the society and to teachers employed in these colleges too.Around six grant-in-aid colleges including one Ahmedabad-based self-financed college affiliated with Gujarat University have written to the university requesting closure this year. According to sources the colleges have cited various reasons for closure .
Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) general secretary Vinod Chavda said on Wednesday that he has reported the matter of a women’s college principal asking students to join BJP to the state leadership for an inquiry. “That incident has come to my notice through social media. We have reported it (to state leadership of the party) for an inquiry,” Chavda said in response to a question while interacting with journalists.The BJP leader, who is incharge general secretary for Saurashtra region, was talking to media persons ahead of the meeting the party’s in-charge for 48 Assembly constituencies in Saurashtra in the city.Incidentally, Rajnibala Gohil, incharge principal of Shreemati Narmadabai Chatrabhuj Gandhi Mahila College, a women’s college in Bhavnagar city, popularly known as NC Gandhi college, had issued a notice on June 24, asking students to bring their passport-size photos and carry mobile phones to the college so they can be enrolled as BJP members.🚨 Limited Time Offer | Express Premium with ad-lite for just Rs 2/ day 👉🏽 Click here to subscribe 🚨 After pictures of the notice went viral on social media on Monday and Congress lodged its protest, Gohil had resigned as incharge principal. The college management had claimed that the incharge principal issued the notice after a ‘lady’ met her and talked to her about the BJP’s ongoing member enrollment drive. The local leaders of the BJP in Bhavnagar city had however, claimed that the party’s drive to enroll new members is on in Bhavnagar city but no one from the party but had gone to the college and pressuried the principal to issue such a notice.Chavda added that as many as 60 lakh people have become BJP’s committees for every page of electoral roll in the state. “Efforts are on to now enroll these page committee members as primary members of the BJP,” said the sitting BJP MP from Kutch.
RAJKOT: The acting principal of a Bhavnagar college who had asked the students to become BJP members resigned from her post on Monday, following protests by Congress workers and NSUI members. She was subsequently sent on leave by Bhavnagar University until an inquiry in the matter was completed. Ranjan Gohil, acting principal of N C Gandhi and B V Gandhi Mahila Arts and Commerce College, had issued a notice to all students on June 24. The notice said, "All the students should bring their passport size photo to register as page committee members in BJP." The notice said that those students living in the jurisdiction of Bhavnagar Municipal Corporation are eligible to become members. "To join the membership campaign of the BJP, all the students should come to the college with their mobile phones from tomorrow," the notice read. This notice by Gohil who teaches political science created a controversy after it went viral on the social media. She withdrew the same notice on Monday morning by issuing a rejoinder that said: "I did not get instruction from anybody for issuing such a notice. The notice was issued by my misunderstanding and I withdraw that notice by this notification." On Monday afternoon, Congress workers and NSUI members protested before the vice-chancellor of Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University and demanded strong action against the acting principal. When contacted, vice-chancellor M M Trivedi said: "I called all the trustees of the college and asked them to conduct an internal enquiry in this matter by forming a committee. The acting principal was sent on leave till the committee completes the inquiry in order to see that she does not tamper with the evidence." Dhiren Vaishnav, a trustee of the college, said: "This college is a non-political educational institute and we do not endorse her act. She herself resigned from the position when she realised that she made a mistake."
The principal of a women’s college in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar city issued an order asking her students to become ‘page pramukhs’ (electoral roll page in charge at booth level) of the ruling BJP.The local Congress unit decried the move and attacked the BJP for making use of such educational institutions to further their political goals, while the trust that runs the institution said she had resigned.In an order dated June 24, Ranjanbala Gohil, the in charge principal of Smt NC Gandhi and Smt BV Gandhi Mahila Arts and Commerce College here, asked all students living within Bhavnagar civic limits to come with a passport size photograph and carry mobile phones to become ‘page pramukh’ of the BJP.“Every student should bring their passport size photo tomorrow to register as a page pramukh in the BJP party. Only students living within the limits of Bhavnagar Municipal Corporation can become members. In order to join the membership drive in the BJP party, every student needs to come to college tomorrow with a mobile phone,” her order stated.College Trustee Dhiren Vaishnav said the order came to his notice on Sunday night, after which he immediately discussed it with fellow trustees and contacted Gohil.“All institutes of Bhavnagar Stree Kelavani Mandal Trust focus on developmental and educational activities and do not associate themselves with any political programme. The in charge principal accepted her mistake and has told us she had no personal interest in getting students enrolled as BJP members,” Vaishnav said.“There was no external or internal pressure on her to resign. But she requested the Trust to free her from her responsibilities and has resigned,” he added.Meanwhile, Prakash Vaghani, chief of Bhavnagar city unit of the Congress, said, “The BJP talks about being the world’s largest political party. It is now clear how it became this big. This is not the only institute. There are many other institutes that work under the BJP, and the party controls them.” Assembly polls will be held later this year and the BJP, which has ruled the state for 27 years, has embarked on a primary membership drive.
BHAVNAGAR: The principal of a women's college in Gujarat's Bhavnagar city issued an order asking her students to become 'page pramukhs' (electoral roll page in charge at booth level) of the ruling BJP. The local Congress unit decried the move and attacked the BJP for making use of such educational institutions to further their political goals, while the trust that runs the institution said she had resigned. In an order dated June 24, Ranjanbala Gohil, the in charge principal of Smt NC Gandhi and Smt BV Gandhi Mahila Arts and Commerce College here, asked all students living within Bhavnagar civic limits to come with a passport size photograph and carry mobile phones to become 'page pramukh' of the BJP. "Every student should bring their passport size photo tomorrow to register as a page pramukh in the BJP party. Only students living within the limits of Bhavnagar Municipal Corporation can become members. In order to join the membership drive in the BJP party, every student needs to come to college tomorrow with a mobile phone," her order stated. College Trustee Dhiren Vaishnav said the order came to his notice on Sunday night, after which he immediately discussed it with fellow trustees and contacted Gohil. "All institutes of Bhavnagar Stree Kelavani Mandal Trust focus on developmental and educational activities and do not associate themselves with any political programme. The in charge principal accepted her mistake and has told us she had no personal interest in getting students enrolled as BJP members," Vaishnav said. "There was no external or internal pressure on her to resign. But she requested the Trust to free her from her responsibilities and has resigned," he added. Meanwhile, Prakash Vaghani, chief of Bhavnagar city unit of the Congress, said, "The BJP talks about being the world's largest political party. It is now clear how it became this big. This is not the only institute. There are many other institutes that work under the BJP, and the party controls them." Assembly polls will be held later this year and the BJP, which has ruled the state for 27 years, has embarked on a primary membership drive.
Members of the Junior Doctors Association (JDA) of BJ Medical College (BJMC) withdrew their strike on Tuesday after 13 days, following assurance from Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel that their demands will be considered and deliberated upon by the state health authorities.The association issued a statement saying, “JDA BJMC are withholding our satyagaha in faith of assurance from Chief Minister and health minister. We will join our duties from 28/06/2022, 8:00 am. This positive step is aimed at patient care, not in fear of strict actions to be taken from authority. Hoping for a positive response from the government.”The BJMC is affiliated to the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital.Patel reportedly held a meeting with the dean and post-graduate course director of BJMC and Civil Hospital medical superintendent Monday at Gandhinagar.He is also scheduled to meet representatives of the JDA on Tuesday.The BJMC JDA has been demanding equating the bond period service with senior residency duration owing to their service in Covid-19 wards for nearly 17 months.On May 28 and June 6, the BJMC post-graduate course director and medical superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital respectively, wrote to the additional chief secretary of health endorsing and recommending for counting bond service equal to the residency period.Residency is a year-long specialised training after three years of the post-graduate programme and becomes mandatory if one wants to apply for teaching positions. In Gujarat, for those admitted through state quota seats, students are also mandated to serve a year-long medical bond period as rural tenure, which is separate from the residency period.Medical superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital Dr Rakesh Joshi said, “(there has been an) unconditional withdrawal of strike in anticipation of positive consideration of their demand.”Notably, following state health government-issued directions ordering for action against junior doctors striking from work, a final eviction notice was issued by the college dean on June 21, directing that the protesting doctors vacate their hostel premises “within 24 hours”.
AHMEDABAD: Post-graduate medical students who went on strike from June 15 called off the stir on Tuesday after the state government promised a resolution to their demands. The students, who have completed their MD and MS courses, had launched a strike demanding that the health department should waive off their one-year bond service period as they had served this mandatory service period during their Covid duty. A statement by the Junior Doctors’ Association read that medical superintendents, PG directors and deans of medical colleges held a meeting with chief minister Bhupendra Patel, health minister Rushikesh Patel and other senior health department officials. The state government has assured to look into the students’ demands and bring an amicable solution, the statement said. Earlier on June 18 and 21, the health department had issued notices rejecting students’ demands and ordering them to vacate hostel premises with immediate effect. However, students had remained adamant and did not vacate the hostel premises nor ended their strike. The health department makes PG students from government run medical colleges to sign bonds amounting to Rs 40 lakh each. The students are supposed to work at government run health centers in rural areas for one year failing which they have to pay the bond amount. Similarly, the undergraduate students are made to sign Rs 20 lakh worth bonds.
After 13 days of protest by the members of the Junior Doctors’ Association (JDA) of the B J Medical College (BJMC) (affiliated to the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital) over demands pending since last year, Tuesday, the association withdrew the strike following assurance by Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel that their demands will be considered and deliberated upon by the state health authorities.Patel reportedly held a meeting with the dean and the post-graduate course director of BJMC along with the medical superintendent of the hospital Monday at Gandhinagar. On Monday itself the minister had joined duty after recovering from Covid-19. He had scheduled a meeting with the representatives of the JDA and the BJMC Tuesday.In a statement, the JDA-BJMC said, “JDA-BJMC is withholding the satyagraha in faith of assurance from the Chief Minister and the Health Minister. We will join our duties from 8 am June 28. This positive step is aimed at patient care, not in fear of strict actions to be taken by authority. Hoping for a positive response from the government.”Medical superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital Dr Rakesh Joshi further said, “(There has been an) unconditional withdrawal of strike in anticipation of positive consideration of their demand.”Following directions from the government ordering action against the junior doctors, a final eviction notice was issued by the college dean on June 21, directing the protesting doctors to vacate their hostel premises “within 24 hours”.JDA-BJMC has been demanding equating the bond period service with the duration of senior residency owing to their service at Covid-19 wards for nearly 17 months. On May 28 and June 6, the BJMC post-graduate course director and medical superintendent of the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, respectively, wrote to the additional chief secretary of health endorsing and recommending for counting bond service equal to the residency period.Residency is a year-long specialised training after three years of the post-graduate programme and becomes mandatory if one wants to apply for teaching positions. In Gujarat, for those admitted through state quota seats, students are also mandated to serve a year-long medical bond period as rural tenure, which is separate from the residency period.The JDA on June 15 had boycotted work from routine surgeries and OPD services, and a day later, had gone ahead further striking from duty in Covid-19 wards and from emergency services.
Junior doctors in Ahmedabad who have been boycotting work over pending demands will continue their strike after a meeting between the representatives of the Junior Doctors’ Association (JDA) of BJ Medical College (BJMC) affiliated to the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital (ACH) and state Health Minister Nimisha Suthar failed.“The state has not given any assurance in writing that our demands will be considered favourably and until they do the same, we will continue with the strike,” according to a JDA representative.The junior doctors have been on strike since June 15 over long-pending demands, including equating their bond period with senior residency duration owing to their service in Covid-19 wards for nearly 17 months.The junior doctors have been boycotting duties in OPDs, emergency wards and Covid wards, as well as routine surgeries.Newsletter | Click to get the day’s best explainers in your inboxHowever, in a press release, the government stated that Suthar “listened to various questions and representations” of the JDA representatives and “reque-sted everyone to join” their duties, while assuring a “speedy and proper” resolution of the issues.Residency is a year-long specialised training after three years of the post-graduate programme and becomes mandatory if one wants to apply for teaching positions. In Gujarat, for those admitted through state quota seats, students are also mandated to serve a year-long medical bond period as rural tenure, which is separate from the residency period.According to a JDA office-bearer, “We were told at the meeting that we must withdraw the strike and that they would consider our demands and take a decision only after that.”
AHMEDABAD: A man underwent occipital cervical fusion surgery at Nutan Medical College in Visnagar, to address his cervical pain. Dr J P Modi, spine surgeon, said this is an extremely rare surgery in the north Gujarat region. “Rajendrasinh Chavda, the patient, had severe pain in his spine for about four months. He had difficulty moving and other issues. He went to a few hospitals in Mehsana, but eventually came to the government-run Nutan Medical College for diagnosis and treatment,” said Dr Modi. “His reports showed TB on the C1 and C2 discs. TB on these discs is found in one of every 1 lakh patients. In this case, the C1 disc was completely damaged by to the infection.” The surgery lasted three hours and involved neurologists and other experts. It was successful, with Chavda getting back on his feet. “This surgery is not generally taken up due to the risk and expenses involved. It was done free of cost at the government hospital. The case is important to create awareness about TB of the spine and its treatment,” said Dr Modi.
Ahmedabad: A man underwent occipital cervical fusion surgery at Nutan Medical College in Visnagar, to address his cervical pain. Dr J P Modi, spine surgeon, said this is an extremely rare surgery in the north Gujarat region.“Rajendrasinh Chavda, the patient, had severe pain in his spine for about four months. He had difficulty moving and other issues. He went to a few hospitals in Mehsana, but eventually came to the government-run Nutan Medical College for diagnosis and treatment,” said Dr Modi. “His reports showed TB on the C1 and C2 discs. TB on these discs is found in one of every 1 lakh patients. In this case, the C1 disc was completely damaged by to the infection.”The surgery lasted three hours and involved neurologists and other experts. It was successful, with Chavda getting back on his feet. “This surgery is not generally taken up due to the risk and expenses involved. It was done free of cost at the government hospital. The case is important to create awareness about TB of the spine and its treatment,” said Dr Modi.
AHMEDABAD: Gujarat University opened registrations for admission to its five-year integrated law course on June 18 Saturday. There are 396 such seats at three colleges, for students who have cleared their Class 12 exams. The last date for registration is June 24. The provisional merit list will be announced on June 27. On June 28, students will be able to make corrections to their applications and the final merit list will be declared on June 30. Students can confirm their admission from July 2 to 4 by paying the fees. A round of reshuffling will be held on July 6 and the second merit list will be announced on July 9.
AHMEDABAD: The online registration for the admission of Class 10 students into the first year of engineering diploma courses will also begin on June 16 and the last date of applying will be July 7. The provisional merit list will be announced on July 12 and the mock round for choice filling will be conducted on July 22 and the final merit list will be announced on the same day. From July 22 to 28 choice filling will be conducted and the college allotment for the first round will be announced on August 1. The Admission Committee for Professional Diploma Courses (ACPDC) announced that students who have been allotted colleges will have to confirm their admissions by paying fees starting from August 1 to 7. The committee will announce the vacant seats on August 10 and the second round of admissions will begin from the same day. The students will be allotted colleges on August 20 for the second round and they will have to confirm their admissions by August 25. On August 29 the committee will announce the seats that remained vacant after completion of the second round. There are 67,000 seats available in the state for engineering diploma courses. Sources said that last year, the committee had conducted admissions on 66,804 seats but at the end of the admission process 25,644 seats had remained vacant. ACPDC expects that this year seats won’t remain vacant as All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has reduced the minimum eligibility marks to 33 from the previous 35 marks. The committee expects that due to this change around 10,000 more students will be eligible for admissions.
AHMEDABAD: The strike by bonded postgraduate medical students of government-run medical colleges in the state entered the third day on Friday. The students who have completed their MD and MS courses are demanding a waiver of their one-year bond service period. On Thursday, the health department had issued an ultimatum to striking students, asking them to end the strike and resume duty or be prepared to face legal action. However, the agitating students ignored this ultimatum and continued to stay away from OPDs and other duties on Friday. The health department makes PG students from government-run medical colleges sign bonds amounting to Rs 40 lakh each. The students are supposed to work at government-run health centres in rural areas for one year or forfeit Rs 40 lakh to relieve themselves of the bond condition. Similarly, the undergraduate students are required to sign Rs 20 lakh bonds. Around 1,000 PG medical students from Ahmedabad are part of the strike that involves students from government medical colleges in Vadodara, Rajkot, Jamnagar and Bhavnagar. TNN
Members of the Junior Doctors’ Association (JDA) of BJ Medical College (BJMC), affiliated with Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, Wednesday went on strike from routine OPD and operation theatre duties over long-pending demands of equating the bond period with the senior residency duration owing to their service in Covid-19 wards for nearly 17 months.A JDA office-bearer told this paper, “Of the 36 months of course-work as a post-graduate course candidate, we served nearly 16-17 months in Covid wards, which also affected our academics as we were not dealing with regular OPDs. The state government considered equating the senior residency period with the mandatory bond period for those admitted in 2017 and 2018 but has not considered the same for those admitted in 2019, despite the Covid work that was done by the 2019 batch as well.”Meanwhile, state Health Minister Rushikesh Patel told media persons on the sidelines of an event in Patan: “If the strike continues, the state has its recourse and will take disciplinary action if required. It is my request that they rejoin duty.”BJMC JDA has been raising the issue since last year, and had in February this year made written representations to the chief minister’s office as well as to the health minister. In March, the health minister wrote to the additional chief secretary of the health department advising them to “take appropriate actions” with respect to the request put forth by JDA. BJMC post-graduate course director and medical superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, on May 28 and June 6 respectively, wrote to the additional chief secretary endorsing and recommending for counting bond service equal to the residency period.Residency is a year-long specialised training after three years of the post-graduate programme and becomes mandatory if one wants to apply for teaching positions. In Gujarat, for those admitted through state quota seats, students are also mandated to serve a year-long medical bond period as rural tenure, which is separate from the residency period.BJMC JDA plans to boycott Covid and emergency services on June 16 as well “if there is no positive response from the government”. A similar strike was held last year, following which, the state government agreed to consider one year of residency equivalent to one year of bond service.
Gujarat's health minister said doctors cannot shy away from serving people.(File)Ahmedabad: Nearly 4,000 resident doctors from five government-run medical colleges in Gujarat went on an indefinite strike from Wednesday to put pressure on the state government to consider 12 months of their senior residency as mandatory bond service.While hospital authorities have made alternate arrangements to cope up with the impact of the strike, Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel said the resident doctors cannot shy away from serving people in rural areas, as per their bond condition.Out of the state's six government medical colleges -- Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Jamnagar and Bhavnagar -- resident doctors in Surat refrained from joining the strike and they gave one more day to the government to resolve the issue.As of now, the resident doctors have withdrawn from attending to all routine OPD (Out Patient Department) services for an indefinite period. Though they are available for emergency and COVID-19 services, their associations have threatened to launch a full-fledged strike in the coming days if the issue remains unresolved.According to rules regarding the service bond, students of government medical colleges have to serve in rural areas for at least one year after completing their post graduate (PG) medical course.If any student wants to break the bond signed at the time of taking admission, he has to pay Rs 40 lakh. This rule is applicable to students of the six government medical colleges in the state.Since some time, students of the 2019 batch, who have completed their course and are about to start their senior residency of 12 months in hospitals attached with their respective colleges, have been demanding that the government should consider this residency period as the bond period."Our demand is legitimate because students of this batch had served COVID-19 patients for 17 months, out of the total 36 months of the course. If the previous batches are exempted from bond service on the same ground, then why can't the government consider the batch of 2019 for the same relief?" asked Dr Rahul Gameti, president of the Junior Doctors' Association in Ahmedabad.However, Health Minister Rushikesh Patel has warned of disciplinary action against the agitating doctors."We will take disciplinary action if required. I urge these doctors to end the strike and join duties at the earliest. I don't agree with their demands. The government spends a considerable amount to make them specialist doctors. Thus, you have to serve in villages after completing your PG," Patel told reporters.According to officials at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, which is affiliated to the government-run Byramjee Jeejeebhoy(B J) Medical College, there is no major impact of the strike as of now.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com"To cope up with the situation, we have cancelled the vacations of our faculty members and transferred non-clinical staff to clinical branches. As of now, there is no major impact on the services because the resident doctors have withdrawn themselves only from routine duties," the civil hospital's superintendent, Dr Rakesh Joshi, said.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NAVSARI: Taking a swipe at the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that those who were in power for the longest time since Independence never gave priority to the development of tribal and far-flung areas as it required hard work. Launching projects worth Rs 3,050 crore for tribal districts of south Gujarat in Khudvel village of Navsari, Modi categorically rejected the narrative that development projects are launched only with an eye on votes ahead of elections and said welfare of poor has been the sole priority of his government for the last eight years. "I have been in public life for over two decades. I challenge them to dig out a single week when I did not launch a developmental project," he said. Without naming any political party, the PM added, "Those who ruled the country for a long time after Independence, never gave priority to tribal areas where development works were direly needed, because it needed hard work. Modi dedicated the Rs 586 crore Astol regional water supply scheme, an engineering marvel, which will end water woes of 174 villages of Dharampur and Kaprada talukas of tribal-dominated Valsad, by lifting water from Madhuban Dam to a height of over ,1800 feet (equivalent to a 200-storey building). The network of pipelines has been constructed criss-crossing the hills in this difficult terrain. The project was announced by Modi during his visit to Navsari in 2018. "In 2018 when I announced this project, critics had claimed that we were doing it with an eye on the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Now, they have been proved wrong. We lifted water and took it to the top of the hill. Who would do such hard work for only 200-300 votes? We undertook this project to ease people's problems and not due to elections," he said. The tribal outreach by BJP here witnessed the participation of nearly five lakh people, which Modi said was a moment for pride for him as he had not seen such a rousing reception in the region even when he was the chief minister. Modi said there were a large number of students in this tribal region who excelled in academics but there was not a single science stream schools or colleges which could have nurtured their dreams of becoming doctors and engineers. "We have completely changed his scenario and there not just medical and engineering colleges but universities too now in tribal areas," he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his government’s development projects were “not to win elections” but for the “good of the people”. It is the “people who make us win elections”, he said during the Gujarat Gaurav Abhiyan event at Khudvel village of Chikhli taluka in Navsari district Friday.“When we do work, some people taunt, saying (we are doing this) because of the upcoming elections. In our tenure, find one week, when we have not done one work of development… I am compelled to say this because in 2018, when I announced this project, some people said—the Lok Sabha elections are coming in 2019. So Modi saheb has come to show us aamba-aamli (dreams)… but today, I am proud that we have proved them false and we have taken water to homes. If we had to do this to win elections, then we wouldn’t do this magajmaari (take the trouble) for 200-300 votes… we don’t do this to win elections; we have come to do good for the people. It is the people who make us win elections,” the PM said. Modi laid foundation stones, inaugurated and dedicated projects worth Rs 3,050 crore during his day-long visit to Gujarat.The projects that Modi inaugurated included a GMERS Medical College at Navsari, Astol water supply project for different villages in Kaprada and Dharampur taluka of Valsad district that covers nearly 4.5 lakh people.He emphasised that members from the Adivasi community also have a right to clean drinking water. “It is for them that I have taken up these campaigns; not to win elections,” Modi stated.The Prime Minister said the entire world was hit by Covid-19, but it was only India that provided such a large vaccine coverage of 200 crore doses. “It is in our culture to care for those living in the faraway jungles,” Modi said.Without naming former chief minister of Gujarat, Amarsinh Chaudhary, who was a tribal, he said, “There was a time in Gujarat when there was a chief minister from this very region, this Adivasi region, and his own village had no water tank. They would install hand pumps that would dry up in a year and a half. When I took the responsibility of Gujarat, I built a water tank in his village.”
NAVSARI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the 'pride' of Gujarat is the rapid development of the state in the last two decades. PM Modi was speaking in the 'Gujarat Gaurav Abhiyan' in Navsari. The PM said, "The rapid development in the state during the last two decades is the pride of Gujarat, development for all and a new aspiration born out of this development. The double engine government is sincerely carrying forward this glorious tradition." Before taking over as the Prime Minister in 2014, PM Modi has the distinction of being the longest serving chief minister of Gujarat with his term spanning from October 2001 to May 2014. According to PM Modi, the government, in the last eight years has given importance to the upliftment of the poor. "In the last eight years, following the mantra of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, our government has laid the utmost emphasis on the welfare of the poor, on providing basic facilities to the poor," he added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth about Rs 3,050 crores in Gujarat on Friday. According to the Prime Minister's Office, these projects will help in improving the water supply in the region, along with boosting connectivity and enhancing the ease of living. Later in the day, he will inaugurate AM Naik Healthcare Complex and Nirali Multi Speciality Hospital in Navsari. (With inputs from ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a traditional welcome during his visit to Navsari.Navsari: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday highlighted the development in Gujarat, saying that the "pride" of Gujarat is the rapid development of the state in the last two decades.PM Modi participated in the 'Gujarat Gaurav Abhiyan' in Navsari on Friday.Speaking on the occasion, he said, "The rapid development in the state during the last two decades is the pride of Gujarat, development for all and a new aspiration born out of this development. The double engine government is sincerely carrying forward this glorious tradition."Before taking over as the Prime Minister in 2014, PM Modi has the distinction of being the longest serving Chief Minister of Gujarat with his term spanning from October 2001 to May 2014.According to him, the government, in the last eight years, has given importance to the upliftment of the poor."In the last eight years, following the mantra of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, our government has laid the utmost emphasis on the welfare of the poor, on providing basic facilities to the poor," he added.Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth about Rs 3,050 crores in Gujarat on Friday.According to the Prime Minister's Office, these projects will help in improving the water supply in the region, along with boosting connectivity and enhancing the ease of living.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comLater in the day, he will inaugurate AM Naik Healthcare Complex and Nirali Multi Speciality Hospital in Navsari.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a ‘Samrasta Sammellan’ in Khudvel village, Gujarat’s Navsari district, on Friday (June 10) where he will inaugurate a group water supply scheme and other projects.The visit is significant also because the BJP is trying to reach out to tribal voters in the region, who have been unhappy about the Par Tapi Narmada (PTN) project.The protests against the now-scrapped project were spearheaded by Congress MLA Anant Patel, and the BJP fears losing this vote bank, which has tilted towards it in recent years.What is the group water supply project about?In 2018, PM Modi laid the foundation stone of Astol Group Water Supply scheme, which aims to supply potable tap water to homes in remote tribal villages under the Nal se Jal mission.Sources said over 95 per cent work of this scheme is complete. Nearly 4.5 lakh people in 174 villages and 1,028 falias (neighbourhoods) in Dharampur and Kaprada taluka of Valsad district will get water at homes through this project. The main pipeline network is 74.77-kilometre long, and has been laid in hilly terrain.Pumps ranging from 15 horsepower to 300 horsepower have been installed for water transmission. The pipeline network also passes through Par river in Valsad, one of the rivers that was to be interlinked under the Par Tapi Narmada (PTN) project. The water will be sourced from Madhuban dam in Dadra and Nagar Haveli union territory.The PM will also inaugurate 339 development projects worth Rs 115 crore in Dangs district, including a government Higher Secondary School, a road built under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak yojana, and a new building of the District panchayat bhavan in Ahwa.Meet to reach out to tribalsThe BJP is aggressively reaching out to tribals in Gujarat after their massive protests against the PTN project in February-March.PM Modi’s Samrasta Sammelan is at Khudvel village, where he is expected to address tribals from the five South Gujarat districts of Surat, Tapi, Navsari, Valsad, and Dang, the region that saw the protests.The Par Tapi Narmada river link project would have led to these tribals getting displaced. According to a report by the National Water Development Agency (NWDA), about 6,065 hectares of land would have been been submerged due to the proposed reservoirs. A total of 61 villages and over 2500 families would have been affected.The project was meant to divert excess water from the three rivers, which flows into the sea in the monsoon, to Saurashtra and Kutch for irrigation.However, the tribals launched a series of projects under the leadership of Congress MLA from Vansda, Anant Patel. Patel started a movement in February, holding group meetings and 11 massive rallies. This culminated in a meeting in Gandhinagar, addressed by senior Congress leaders.Post this, in March, the BJP first announced the project had been put on hold, and later said it was scrapped. However, the tribals have demanded a white paper in place of the verbal announcement.Congress meet in same area cancelledA meeting by Congress leader and MP Rahul Gandhi, planned in Vansda on June 12, has been cancelled, on account of his mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi and his sister and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra falling ill.The tribal voteThere are 11 Assembly seats in South Gujarat reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST), out of which seven are with BJP and four with Congress. Amid the PTN project row, tribal leaders from the region made representations to state BJP president C R Paatil, telling him angry voters are moving away from the BJP.On March 28, Chief minister Bhupendra Patel and Paatil held a meeting at Gandhinagar with the tribal leaders, announcing the state would not give consent to the project. Later, Paatil and other tribal leaders, including state tribal minister Naresh Patel, met Union Home minister Amit Shah and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman, explaining their concerns.On May 22, CM Patel and Paatil addressed a press conference in Surat, announcing the project had been scrapped. The same evening, Paatil addressed Adijati Utsav at Vansda in Navsari, saying the project would not go ahead. However, sources said that despite continuous efforts by the state BJP machinery, the tribals are not satisfied and want a white paper.Preparations at the venueAt the Adijati Utsav in Vansda, Paatil had announced that over 4 lakh people, majority of them tribals, would attend PM Modi’s address at Khudvel. The state BJP had given targets to its leaders to bring in 1.40 lakh people each from Surat, Tapi , Navsari, and Valsad district units and 20,000 from Dangs.Navsari district BJP president Bhuralal Shah said, “State transport buses, private school buses, private luxuries, trucks and tempos will be used to bring public to the venue.”Sources said that seven domes have been erected for around 3 lakh people, while separate pandals have been put up for the rest. The dome structures will have fans and sprinklers. As many as 70 LED screens have been fixed at different locations for the public.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a tribal gathering and launch a multi-speciality hospital in Navsari during his one-day visit to Gujarat on June 10. The PM will also inaugurate the headquarters of Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) in Ahmedabad.The Prime Minister will also visit Vadodara city after nearly six years on June 18 when he is expected to participate in a road show from the airport to Leprosy ground on Ajwa Road. Modi was elected as a Member of Parliament from the Vadodara Lok Sabha constituency in 2014 — a seat that he later relinquished in favour of Varanasi.During his visit on June 10, Modi will address a “Samrasta Sammelan” at Khudvel village in Chikhli taluka of Navsari district in South Gujarat at 10.15 am, Gujarat government spokesperson and Education Minister Jitu Vaghani said after the cabinet briefing on Tuesday.The event is expected to see a large gathering of tribals from nearby districts of Dangs, Tapi and Valsad. “At 12.15 pm, he will inaugurate the AM Naik Healthcare campus named after the L&T Group Chairman at Navsari and also inaugurate Nirali multi speciality hospital. Modi is scheduled to address the function,” he added.At 3.45 pm, Modi will travel to Ahmedabad where he will inaugurate a new headquarters of IN-SPACe at Bopal. IN-SPACe is an autonomous government agency set up to promote, permit and oversee private sector space based activities.Union Home Minister Amit Shah will also be present.Meanwhile, in view of the PM’s visit on June 18, the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has been carrying out work to “beautify” the city by painting the sidewalks, carpeting of roads and pruning of trees.On Tuesday, officials of the district and city administration, including District Collector AB Gor, Municipal Commissioner Shalini Agarwal, Mayor Keyur Rokadia, MP Ranjan Bhatt, police officers as well as office-bearers of the city unit of the BJP, took stock of the preparations.The city unit of the BJP has roped in the local cadre to ensure a crowd of about five lakh persons for the public address of the Prime Minister at Leprosy ground, following the road show of about five and a half kilometres from the airport. The party is also planning to set up cultural tableaux at various points along the route of the roadshow. Vadodara BJP general secretary and former mayor Sunil Solanki said that the visit aims to cover the Central Gujarat zone, ahead of the upcoming polls. Solanki said, “Modiji will first visit the Pavagadh temple before coming to Vadodara.”The party held a meeting of around 300 leaders on Tuesday evening to prepare for the “big event”. “The road show will pass through a six-kilometre stretch where people can see the convoy from their homes,” he said.PM Modi will also hand out benefits of various government schemes to beneficiaries, namely Ayushman Bharat card and Gangaswaroop scheme of the state government. Modi had earlier visited Vadodara city in October 2016 to inaugurate the new terminal building of the Vadodara airport, where he had also hinted at a “strike on black money”, days before announcing the demonetisation.
