Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], December 31 : Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has taken a significant public interest decision aimed at ensuring the holistic and inclusive development of rural areas across the state's districts.
For this purpose, he has issued directions to allocate a discretionary grant of Rs one crore to the presidents of all 34 District Panchayats of the state for development works of local importance in their respective districts.
In the state, there is an existing practice of allocating a grant of Rs. 2.5 crore to MLAs for development works under the Decentralised District Planning Programme, an official release said.
The presidents of the District Panchayats had made representations to the Chief Minister seeking the allocation of discretionary grants to District Panchayat presidents, with the objective of accelerating rural development works in their districts and prioritising projects of local importance.
Responding positively and swiftly to these representations, the Chief Minister has directed the General Administration Department to allocate this discretionary grant of Rs. 1 crore to the presidents of the District Panchayats.
Earlier, Patel released the 2026 calendar in Gandhinagar. Prepared on the theme "Atmanirbhar Bharat, Our Pride - Vocal for Local," the calendar showcases Gujarat's industrial progress and the richness of its art and culture, reflecting the state's dedicated efforts to realise the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat through visually appealing photographs and concise, informative details.
The Chief Minister, in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, reviewed the 2026 calendar and expressed his satisfaction. The calendar highlights key industries such as automobiles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, ceramics, semiconductors, and diamonds, while also showcasing Gujarat's distinctive art forms, including Patola of Patan, Kutch handicrafts, Pithora paintings, Bandhani, Rogan art, and agate (akik) craftsmanship, the release said.
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