One of the initiatives of former Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi — Garib Kalyan Mela (GKM) — was launched by first woman Chief Minister of Gujarat Anandiben Patel on Friday, in which benefit worth Rs1,000 crore will be given to over 10 lakh deprived poor villagers.
The seventh edition of GKM has been kick-started from Jamnagar. While launching the annual event which is dedicated for the economic betterment of the poor, Patel said the scheme has opened up new frontiers of economical growth for the rural poor, in particular for women.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister and her Ministers had distributed the assistance worth Rs5.80 crore among the 10,559 beneficiaries. Under the Golden Jubilee Chief Minister’s Urban Development Scheme, Patel also inaugurated 1908 urban development works amounting to Rs46.63 crore for Jamnagar city.
So far, the scheme had successfully completed its as many as six editions, with first one commenced in year 2008. In the seventh GKM, assistance of Rs12,000-crore benefitting to 81 lakh beneficiaries was given through 1098 Melas conducted across the State, the Chief Minister added.
“The GKM scheme of the Gujarat Government is aimed to offer its benefits directly to the poor in rural areas. In this GKM, as many as 127 Melas will be held across the State to provide benefits worth Rs1,000 crore to over 10-lakh poor and deprived villagers,” she said.
The scheme has specific agenda to make the State’s poor and deprived to live self-sufficiently and respectfully; and particularly to empower the women section, she added. Patel also called on the people to take part in State-wide ‘Swachhta Abhiyaan’ (cleanliness drive) starting in Gujarat from October 2, the birth anniversary of the Father of Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, as Gandhiji always believed in ‘Swachhta tya Prabhuta’ (God resides where cleanliness is) by observing cleanliness in public places like schools and others.
Speaking on the occasion, Gujarat Agriculture and Water Resources and District In-Charge Minister Babu Bokhiriya said, the concept of removing the middle men to offer full benefits directly to the poor people through Garib Kalyan Mela Scheme was the brainchild of Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat.