Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], March 15 (ANI): Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for development works worth Rs 1,100 crore on Sunday in the eastern tribal districts of Panchmahal and Dahod.

According to the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), in this context, the CM dedicated 112 development works worth Rs 732 crore in Panchmahal district and over 1,200 development works worth Rs 367 crore in Dahod district to tribal families.

CM inaugurated the Panam reservoir-based lift irrigation pipeline scheme, worth Rs 406 crore, to supply water to 130 lakes in 79 villages of the Shahera, Godhra, Kalol, and Ghoghamba talukas of the Panchmahal district.

As a result of this scheme, nearly 86,000 hectares of land will receive irrigation facilities. Water from the Panam reservoir will be lifted from a height of 236 feet and distributed through a 205-kilometre pipeline network.

On this occasion, CM stated that water is key to development. He added that in the tribal belt from Ambaji to Umargam, irrigation facilities have been provided to 2 lakh 23 thousand acres of land through 11 lift irrigation schemes implemented at a cost of Rs 3,160 crore.

He further added that the state government's historic Rs 4 lakh crore budget for this year includes a provision of Rs 485 crore for lift irrigation to expand irrigation facilities in tribal areas.

Furthermore, provisions have been made to supply irrigation water to farmers across 51,480 hectares in 18 talukas of Chhota Udepur, Dahod, and Panchmahal districts through Narmada-based lift irrigation.

CM also dedicated various development works related to healthcare, education, road infrastructure, and water facilities in Panchmahal and Dahod districts.

Chief Minister called upon Dahod district, which has been included in the Aspirational Districts announced by the Prime Minister, to become an inspirational district that will lead the way in building a Viksit Gujarat for a Viksit Bharat.

On the occasion, Minister Arjun Modhwadia, Minister of State Ramesh Katara, and PC Baranda, MPs Rajpalsinh Jadav and Jasvantsinh Bhabhor, Rajya Sabha MP Jasvantsinh Parmar, MLAs of both districts, local representatives, the Collectors of both districts, along with senior administrative officials, and a large number of tribal families were present. (ANI)