ANI
21 Sep 2026

Vadodara (Gujarat) [India], September 20 (ANI): Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Saturday laid the foundation stones for and inaugurated various development projects worth Rs 1,297 crore at a programme held at Trimandir in Varnama, Vadodara district.

As per the Chief Minister's Office, CM Bhupendra Patel said that true social harmony has been established in the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He said social harmony and the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family) have received continuous encouragement under the Prime Minister's leadership. He described the inauguration of the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Sankalp Bhoomi Memorial in Vadodara, built at a cost of around Rs 29 crore, as an important step in this direction.

The sacred site is associated with the memory of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. A 12-foot-tall statue of Dr Ambedkar has been installed at the memorial, along with a museum, digital show, library and auditorium.

The Rs 1,297-crore development package for the people of Vadodara city and district includes the Gambhira Bridge and the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Memorial at Kalyannagar. 

Chief Minister said that the 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan' has been organised to further accelerate Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 25-year journey of continuous public and national service. He said the benefits of good governance have reached people across the country and that the politics of development has been given a new direction by translating the mantra of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas into action.

Under the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan, efforts are being made to take the Prime Minister's contribution to national service, welfare schemes for the poor and development-oriented initiatives to people across the country.

He further said Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar worked with determination to eliminate social evils and inequality and establish social harmony. The Sankalp Bhoomi Memorial, he said, would become a source of inspiration for future generations for social equality, unity and harmony.

The CM said the memorial would convey the message that even in adverse circumstances, determined efforts for the upliftment of society can bring about meaningful change.

The Chief Minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had adopted an approach of considering every citizen as part of his family and ensuring that the benefits of development reach the person at the bottom of the social and economic ladder.

The 650th birth anniversary of Shiromani Ravidas is being celebrated as a festival of social unity and harmony. In Gujarat, various projects worth Rs 231 crore are also being undertaken as part of these celebrations.

CM Bhupendra Patel said the fundamental objective of the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan is to use governance as a means of service and serve every section of society. 

Keeping in mind the difficulties faced by poor and disadvantaged sections, various schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, Har Ghar Jal and Ayushman Bharat have made citizens' lives easier.

He appealed to everyone to participate in ensuring that citizens who have remained deprived of the benefits of these schemes receive their rightful benefits.

The Chief Minister stressed the need to adopt a 'saturation' approach to ensure that government schemes reach the maximum number of beneficiaries. He said every individual should resolve to contribute to social service according to their ability during the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan.

He said people can also contribute to public service through activities such as tree plantation, cleanliness drives, water conservation, saving electricity and rainwater harvesting.

CM Bhupendra Patel said the government was continuously working to bring every village, every family and every citizen into the mainstream of the development process. Various development works, including the Gambhira Bridge, housing, roads, drainage and water supply projects, are being undertaken in Vadodara district.

The government is committed to improving the well-being of citizens through various projects, including 593 houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, he said.

The Chief Minister described people's participation as crucial to building a developed Gujarat and realising the vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047.

He said the government was continuously working to ensure that the benefits of development reach every section of society and that no individual is left out of the development process. He appealed to people to further strengthen Prime Minister Modi's mantra of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas through public participation.

Concluding his address, the Chief Minister urged people to embrace the message of harmony and unity at Trimandir and move forward together. Appealing to people to strengthen social unity and brotherhood by embracing the belief that every human being carries the divine essence within, he called upon everyone to contribute to the building of a developed Gujarat and a developed India.

Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Pradyumnbhai Vaja paid tribute to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and said his invaluable contribution towards social justice and the upliftment of society should always be remembered.

He said the people of Vadodara had received development works worth Rs 1,273 crore, including around Rs 75 crore worth of projects under the Social Justice and Empowerment.

Department. He thanked Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and the state government on behalf of the people for these initiatives.

He said Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar believed that the true measure of a society's progress lay in the development of the last person and women, and that the state government was keeping this philosophy at the centre of its development agenda.

Pradyuman Vaja said Vadodara has a historic connection with Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's life. Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad had provided Ambedkar with a scholarship and encouraged him to pursue higher education.

During a period of struggle in Vadodara, Ambedkar is also associated with having taken a resolve under a tree at Sayajibaug to bring deprived and oppressed sections of society into the mainstream.

The constitutional rights and values of equality secured for citizens through the Constitution drafted by Dr Ambedkar have enabled several sections of society to access development opportunities, he said.

He added that the goal of social justice can be achieved only when constitutional values are effectively implemented alongside the government's policies and intentions.

Pradyuman Vaja also thanked the Chief Minister for making a budgetary provision of Rs 231 crore in the state on the occasion of the 650th birth anniversary of Shiromani Ravidas.

Minister of State Manishaben Vakil said Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel had accorded priority to the reconstruction of the Gambhira Bridge and ensured that the work was completed on time.

With the new bridge in place, trade and commercial activities between Vadodara and Saurashtra will become easier, she said.

She added that the Bharat Ratna Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Memorial in Vadodara would continue to inspire people. (ANI)