Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], July 29 : Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel called for achieving 100% beneficiary coverage in quality schemes and initiatives, so that such recognition ceremonies become a norm in every district and taluka of the state.
He was addressing the 'Sampurnata Abhiyan Samman Samaroh' held to honour excellence in holistic development across Aspirational Districts and Talukas (Blocks).
In this context, he noted that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visionary leadership, sectors from semiconductors to sanitation are prioritised. Technology-driven systems have raised public expectations, and it is our duty to meet them and ensure continued quality services, he stated while inspiring the heads of district administrations and district development officers, said the release.
The Chief Minister honoured the districts and talukas of the state that achieved excellence during the nationwide Samarpan Abhiyan held from July to September 2024 by NITI Aayog with awards and certificates at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar.
Speaker of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly Shankar Chaudhary, Chief Secretary Pankaj Joshi, Additional Secretary of NITI Aayog Rohit Kumar, and Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister M.K. Das were present on the occasion.
The Chief Minister and the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly conferred a total of 13 medals: Gold to districts that achieved saturation in all six indicators determined by NITI Aayog, Silver to districts that achieved saturation in five, and Bronze to those that achieved excellence in four indicators, which were presented to the then district collectors of the respective districts.
The Chief Minister congratulated and presented certificates of appreciation to those who helped Gujarat achieve "completeness" within the set timeframe for various development targets under the 'Aspirational Block Program'. This achievement fulfills Prime Minister Narendra Modi's strong commitment to ensuring that "the last citizen becomes an active participant in the nation's development journey.
He stated that the energy of young officers and their commitment to public welfare will drive the vision of Viksit Gujarat for Viksit Bharat, with every task delivered to the highest standards. CM mentioned that to accelerate the pace towards Viksit Gujarat, the Gujarat State Institution for Transformation (GRIT) has been established. GRIT provides comprehensive monitoring and direction on which sectors need further momentum, what work has been completed, and what remains to be done.
"We need to strengthen systems and ensure they reach the grassroots, bringing even the most marginalised into the mainstream. Much work has already been done toward this, and now we must intensify it further," the Chief Minister stated.
He added that the state has robust financial management, and there is no shortage of funds for planning or implementing schemes. Therefore, he expects that all district administrative heads will ensure quality work and that 100 percent of the scheme benefits reach the needy beneficiaries. Chief Minister also expressed confidence that Gujarat is ready to take the lead in building Vikist Bharat @2047.
The Central Government's NITI Aayog launched the 'Aspirational District Program' in 2018 with the aim of improving the standard of living of citizens in the remotest parts of the country, ensuring holistic development in socially and economically challenging districts by providing infrastructural facilities and bringing about rapid socio-economic transformation. Dahod and Narmada districts of Gujarat have been included in this program.
Taking into account the overall positive outcomes of the Aspirational District Program across India, and with the determination to expand it further to the block level inspired by the Prime Minister, the 'Aspirational Block Program' was launched in 2023. With the aim of accelerating the achievement of completeness in both these programs, NITI Aayog launched the "Samarpan Abhiyan" from 4 July 2024 to 30 September 2024.
Under this campaign, six indicators were identified for the first quarter: percentage of registered pregnant women receiving antenatal care (ANC), percentage of pregnant women regularly receiving supplementary nutrition under the ICDS program, percentage of Soil Health Cards generated against the soil sample collection target, percentage of the target population screened for diabetes in the block, percentage of the target population screened for hypertension in the block, and percentage of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) receiving revolving funds out of the total SHGs in the block.
Accordingly, under the Aspirational District Program, Dahod district achieved completeness in all six indicators, while Narmada district achieved completeness in five indicators.
Under the Aspirational Block Programme, seven talukas -- Lakhpat, Rapar, Kukarmunda, Nijhar, Tharad, Ghoghamba, and Sayla -- achieved 100% performance across all six key indicators and were conferred the Gold Award. Garbada, Nandod, and Santalpur received the Silver Award for excellence in five indicators, while Subir in Dang district was honoured with the Bronze Award for meeting four indicators.
On this occasion, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel virtually inaugurated 'Aakansha Haat' in 10 districts. These haat will showcase unique local products, giving a boost to the 'Vocal for Local' initiative.
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Shankar Chaudhary, extended congratulations to all and stated that the Chief Minister has consistently emphasised inclusive development, particularly focusing on aspirational districts and talukas that may have previously been overlooked in accessing the benefits of progress. He added that, along with the state government, NITI Aayog has also given special attention to the development of such regions. As a result, these districts and talukas in Gujarat are now meeting the benchmarks set by NITI Aayog.
On this occasion, NITI Aayog's Additional Secretary Rohit Kumar stated that, inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a novel approach was adopted to develop 112 districts under the "Aspirational Districts Programme" and 500 talukas under the "Aspirational Blocks Programme." Under this initiative, the selected districts and talukas in Gujarat have worked in mission mode based on six key development indicators defined by NITI Aayog.
Secretary (Planning) Ms. Ardra Agrawal delivered the welcome address, while GSIDS Director Leena Kakkad proposed the vote of thanks.
The event was attended by Gandhinagar Mayor Meeraben Patel, Gandhinagar District Panchayat President Shilpa Patel, MLA Rita Patel, collectors and officials from award-winning districts, senior government officials, and other dignitaries.