Ahmedabad: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday inaugurated and laid foundation stones for development projects worth approximately ₹1,400 crore in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and other dignitaries attended the programme. The projects include civic infrastructure, housing, education and water management initiatives.
Of the total investment, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) undertook works worth around ₹1,024 crore. Meanwhile, projects worth approximately ₹400 crore were completed or initiated through the Gujarat government’s Roads and Buildings Department and the Centre. Shah said development initiatives were progressing rapidly under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.
Shah highlighted the slum rehabilitation initiative launched by Narendra Modi in 2007. The programme, now being implemented by the Gujarat government, provides permanent housing to people living in slums. Residents of Ramapir No Tekro are being shifted into private flats with access to essential facilities.
Once the entire project is implemented, more than 55,000 people will have access to social security, recreational, educational and healthcare facilities within one complex. Shah also referred to a separate initiative to rehabilitate nearly one lakh slum dwellers in Ahmedabad through permanent housing.
Ahmedabad development projects strengthen civic infrastructure
Shah criticised the previous opposition government for neglecting areas such as Ramapir No Tekro during its rule from 1947 to 1995. He said poor residents had voted for the party for years without receiving permanent housing. According to him, political change began in 1995 with the election of the first councillor, followed by his election as MLA from the constituency in 2012.
He urged residents of Ramapir Ka Tila to prioritise children’s education. Two primary schools were inaugurated during the programme. Shah said AMC had converted all primary schools in the area into smart schools. Similarly, Primary Education Committees in the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency had also upgraded schools into smart facilities.
The development works include a pump house in Bopal-Ghuma to improve rainwater drainage. Shah said he had been associated with the area for 30 years and had promised a solution to waterlogging before 2029. Work on the four-kilometre ISKCON overbridge also commenced. Once completed in three years, the signal-free structure is expected to reduce travel time between Sarkhej and Gandhinagar.
The Jalasapur Water Treatment Plant was also inaugurated. Shah said development projects worth ₹25,000 crore had been completed in the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency over the past seven years, including the latest initiatives. He reiterated his commitment to a “Green Gandhinagar, Developed Gandhinagar” constituency.
Amit Shah calls for drug-free Gujarat by 2028
Shah also highlighted discussions at a recent meeting between the Union Home Ministry and Gujarat’s Home Department. The meeting addressed implementation of the new criminal laws, modernisation of the Home Department and efforts to eliminate drug abuse.
He said the Modi government had set a target of achieving a drug-free India by December 31, 2029, following its campaign against Left-Wing Extremism. However, Shah urged Gujarat to achieve the goal a year earlier, by December 31, 2028.
He appealed to citizens to report drug sales or consumption through the 1033 helpline. Informants’ identities would remain confidential, and authorities would take strict action. Shah also urged teachers to arrange tests and consult parents when they noticed behavioural changes among students. Parents and residents, he said, should report suspected drug-related activities in their neighbourhoods.
De-addiction centres are being established for young people struggling with substance abuse. Shah stressed that seeking treatment should not cause embarrassment or stigma. He assured that the identities of those undergoing treatment would remain confidential.
The Home Minister said public participation was essential to make Gujarat and India drug-free. A control room will become operational from December 1, with a mechanism to ensure action within three hours of receiving drug-related information. He said a scientific system had been developed to act against drug networks and send their kingpins and operatives to prison.
Shah assured people that the Centre and Gujarat government would continue their fight against drug trafficking without retreating. During the programme, he also administered a pledge to residents to contribute actively towards a drug-free Gujarat.
The Union Home Minister extended Diwali and Gujarati New Year greetings to the people of Gujarat. Bestu Varas, the Gujarati New Year, begins on Tuesday.
