Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], December 26 : Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Thursday inaugurated the globally renowned Kankaria Carnival-2025.
On this occasion, the Chief Minister paid heartfelt tribute to the 101st birth anniversary of former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
He stated that since 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has initiated the observance of Atalji's birth anniversary as Good Governance Day, emphasising that good governance enables people at the grassroots level to be integrated into the mainstream of development, said a release from the Chief Minister's Office.
The Chief Minister said that under the guidance of the Prime Minister, AMC has gifted Ahmedabad several attractions, such as the Kankaria Lakefront, Sabarmati Riverfront, Atal Bridge, Shopping Festival, Flower Show, Kite Festival, among many others. He noted that, along with providing entertainment facilities to citizens, the Prime Minister's objective is to enhance public well-being in cities and raise the Happiness Index. Gujarat has set many benchmarks in urban well-being.
He also noted that Kankaria's identity, once limited to the lake, was transformed by the Prime Minister through holistic development and the initiation of the Kankaria Carnival, making Kankaria Lake and the Carnival unique and globally renowned. He added that the Kankaria Carnival embodies the mantra of "Vikas Bhi, Virasat Bhi," and noted that initiatives like the Kankaria Carnival have ushered in a significant recreational transformation.
The Chief Minister stated with pride that more than 42 lakh people visited the Kankaria Lakefront in 2024. Emphasising the importance of cleanliness, he appealed to citizens for their active cooperation. He noted that with the inauguration of several development projects on this occasion, the Kankaria Carnival has now also evolved into a "Vikas Carnival." Aligning with the Prime Minister's resolve, he emphasised the need to make cities more sustainable and better equipped to realise the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Yadav laid foundation stones and inaugurated 109 public-oriented development works worth over Rs. 526 crore of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority.
This included the inauguration of 88 works worth Rs. 196.73 crore and the foundation laying of 12 works worth Rs. 150.46 crore of AMC departments in the Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad East and West Lok Sabha constituencies.
Together, these amounted to 100 works worth Rs. 347.19 crore. In the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, three works worth Rs. 5.25 crore of the AUDA department were inaugurated, and foundation stones were laid for six works worth Rs. 174.34 crore. Altogether, across these Lok Sabha areas, inaugurations and foundation laying for 91 development works worth Rs. 526.78 crore of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and AUDA departments.
On this occasion, Mayor of Ahmedabad Pratibha Jain stated that the then Chief Minister and present Prime Minister Narendra Modi transformed Kankaria and initiated the Kankaria Carnival to bring joy and enthusiasm to the people of Ahmedabad, a tradition that continues to this day.
Today, the 16th Kankaria Carnival has been inaugurated by the Chief Minister. Along with this, citizens have received the gift of various public-oriented development projects worth Rs 526.78 crore from the Chief Minister.
The Mayor also paid heartfelt tribute to the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and extended Christmas greetings to all citizens.
On this occasion, nutritional kits were distributed under the TB-Free India campaign by the Chief Minister.
The carnival parade organised at the inauguration of the Kankaria Carnival emerged as a major attraction for citizens, with the theme "Local to Global." A drone show was also organised. Drone formations showcasing themes such as Local to Global, Commonwealth Games, Olympics, Clean City, Atalji, and the Shopping Festival further heightened public enthusiasm.
In addition, a spectacular light and sound show accompanied by patriotic songs was presented and widely enjoyed by citizens. As part of the carnival, renowned singer Kirtidan Gadhvi captivated the audience with his performance during the cultural programme.
The event was attended by Ahmedabad's In-charge Minister Rushikesh Patel, Minister of State for Urban Development Darshana Vaghela, MPs Hasmukh Patel and Dinesh Makwana, Deputy Mayor Jatin Patel, Standing Committee Chairman Devang Dani, various MLAs of the city, office bearers of AMC and AUDA, AMC Commissioner Banchhanidhi Pani, AUDA CEA D.P. Desai, along with other senior officials and a large number of citizens.