Green, clean, keen: Gujarat chief minister sets stage for development marathon
Bhupendra Patel
has called on all cities and towns in the state to draw up ambitious development blueprints and execute them with urgency as part of Urban Development Year 2025.
The goal: to set new national benchmarks in sustainable, citizen-centric urban growth and foster healthy competition between Gujarat's urban centres.
Speaking at the launch of Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation's Development Vision Plan on the state capital's 61st Foundation Day, the CM honoured the city's 'swachhata warriors' for their role in helping Gandhinagar achieve national acclaim in Swachh Survekshan rankings in the 3 lakh-1 million population category.
"Once known as a green city, Gandhinagar is now proudly a clean city too. And, it's everyone's responsibility to keep it that way," he said.
Patel recalled that it was in 2005, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's tenure as CM, that the first Urban Development Year was celebrated. The initiative then sparked a shift from focusing solely on infrastructure to including smart services, technology integration, and forward-looking planning.
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"Building on two decades of achievements in urban development, this year is being observed with the objective of creating world-class cities," he added.
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This year, Gujarat has increased its urban development budget by a whopping 40%, earmarking Rs 30,000 crore. The CM emphasized that the 2025 campaign is not just about aesthetics or growth — it's about laying the groundwork for 'Viksit Bharat@2047' by embracing sustainability, inclusivity, and innovation.
Among key campaigns he highlighted were 'Catch the Rain' for water harvesting, urban forest expansion, the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' tree-planting drive, rooftop solar adoption, and electric mobility — all geared toward greener, more resilient cities.
Gandhinagar Mayor Mira Patel, in her address, said that the capital's transformation would not have been possible without the leadership of PM Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah, and CM Patel. She pointed out that Gandhinagar's municipal budget has grown from Rs 7.47 crore in 2010 to a projected Rs 1,718 crore for 2025–26 — a 230-fold jump. The mayor urged citizens to work collectively to push Gandhinagar from being "excellent" to "exceptional".
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