Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], July 4 (ANI): Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel urged newly elected sarpanchs and gram panchayat members to ensure visible cleanliness in villages.

He announced that under PM Narendra Modi's vision of 'Swachhta Tya Prabhuta (Cleanliness is next to Godliness),' a mass movement for cleanliness has been launched across villages, towns, and cities.

In this context, the Chief Minister made a significant announcement, stating that, guided by the principle of 'Cleanliness is next to Godliness,' Prime Minister Narendra Modi has initiated a nationwide people's movement aimed at maintaining cleanliness and hygiene across villages, towns, and cities.

The state government currently allocates 4 per person per month for cleanliness in every village. Now, this amount will be doubled to 8 per person per month. As a result, the momentum for cleanliness in villages will increase significantly.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, while encouraging the newly elected sarpanchs regarding village cleanliness, added that an inspiring environment should be created where every village competes in cleanliness and hygiene.

At the felicitation ceremony organised by the Panchayat and Rural Development Department at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel honoured the newly elected Sarpanchs and members.

Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil, Rural Development Minister Raghavji Patel, Minister of State Kunwarji Halpati, along with other cabinet ministers, Members of Parliament, and MLAs, were present on the occasion.

While highlighting the role of the newly elected Sarpanchs and Panchayat members, the Chief Minister affirmed that they have earned the trust and confidence of the people. Emphasising the guiding mantra of 'Aapnu Gaam, Aapnu Gaurav' (Our Village, Our Pride), he urged them to serve as foundational pillars in driving the holistic development of their villages.

He added that to achieve Gram Swaraj, the Prime Minister has handed over the power of collective village development to the Sarpanchs by offering a new direction of self-reliance through the politics of development. Not only that, he also introduced the novel concept of 'Samaras ' (consensus) in Gujarat.

He expressed that, following this idea, a record-breaking 761 Gram Panchayats have become Samaras in this Gram Panchayat election.

A total of 35 crore has been allocated through DBT as an incentive grant to such Samaras Gram Panchayats and an overall amount of 1,236 crore has been allocated for various developmental works.

The Chief Minister stated that under the 11 years of good governance by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, rural development, economy, and infrastructure facilities have gained new momentum.

He also mentioned that approximately 4 crore rural poor in the country have received housing, more than 2 lakh Gram Panchayats have been connected to the internet in a decade, and around 5.5 lakh Common Service Centers have become operational to provide government services to rural citizens.

The Chief Minister emphasised the collaborative efforts of the double-engine governments and villages in planning development and expressed confidence in the vital role of sarpanchs in building Viksit Gujarat through Viksit Villages, aligning with the Prime Minister's vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047.

Congratulating the newly appointed sarpanchs and members, Union Jal Shakti Minister C. R. Patil stated that the villagers have placed complete trust in them by entrusting the responsibility of their village's development.

He emphasised that ensuring the holistic progress of the village, upholding democratic values, and contributing meaningfully to the vision of Viksit Gujarat are the moral responsibilities of every Sarpanch.

Referring to the sarpanch as the Chief Minister of the village, the Union Jal Shakti Minister said that just as the Chief Minister bears full responsibility for the state, similarly, the Sarpanch holds complete responsibility for making the village prosperous.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has further empowered Panchayati Raj by providing more authority and grants to Gram Panchayats.

The Union Minister laid special emphasis on boosting cleanliness, the Jal Jeevan Mission, and Jal Sanchay Abhiyan in villages. He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 60 crore citizens of the country have begun using toilets.

Additionally, under the Jal Jeevan Mission, more than 15.65 crore households in the country have received tap water supply, and by 2028, water is planned to be delivered to another 4 crore households.

Emphasising the importance of the 'Catch the Rain' campaign, the Union Minister urged that it be given top priority. He noted that the Prime Minister has called for transforming the Jal Sanchay Abhiyan into a mass movement. As a remarkable outcome, over 32 lakh water conservation structures were created within just 8 hours.

The Minister encouraged the newly appointed Sarpanchs to actively initiate water conservation efforts in every village, thereby accelerating the Jal Sanchay Abhiyan through collective public participation.

On this occasion, Rural Development Minister Raghavji Patel stated that the state government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, is committed to realising the Prime Minister's vision of 'Suvidha Sheherni, Aatma Gamdano' (Urban amenities with the soul of villages).

Under the leadership of the Chief Minister, efforts are ongoing to keep Gujarat at the forefront in every field. The successful implementation of various public welfare schemes, including the Gram Vikas Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Swachhata Abhiyan, MGNREGA, and E-Gram Vishwagram, has significantly enhanced the infrastructure and amenities in the state's rural areas.

Sarpanchs of Samaras Gram Panchayats, as well as those from Gram Panchayats who performed excellently in various fields, were honoured with certificates of appreciation from dignitaries.

The program was attended by various office bearers, Chief Secretary Pankaj Joshi, Principal Secretary of the Panchayat Department Milind Torwane, Development Commissioner Hitesh Koya, and a large number of newly elected Sarpanchs and members. (ANI)