Gujarat CM lays foundation stones for development works worth over Rs 600 crore in Surat
AHMEDABAD: Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Tuesday laid foundation stones for development works worth over Rs 600 crore at Veer Narmad South Gujarat University, where he launched multiple projects of the Surat Municipal Corporation and Surat Urban Development Authority. Patel took an indirect swipe at corruption and said, Congratulations to the corporation for taking only the amount of tax that belongs to the corporation. We will not get anything else except tax!, he added. Looking out at the crowd, he asked sharply, Why has everyone become quiet? Now people think this is a small village? Has Rs 600 crore become small now? Rewinding time, the Chief Minister reminded citizens how far governance has travelled. There was a time when even taking up a work worth one lakh required deep thought, he said, before drawing a direct line to the present. Today, development has reached a level where a common person, through his society, can approach a corporator and get a work worth one crore done. Patel urged the people of Surat to accept this grandeur of development, framing growth not as excess, but as the new normal. The visit also marked the inauguration of Gujarats first state-of-the-art elevated market at Surat APMC, one of the largest such projects in Asia. The project features a 100-foot-wide ramp, allowing trucks to directly access the first floor, dramatically cutting loading time and speeding up the movement of goods for farmers and traders alike. Addressing farmers at the APMC, Patel recalled that the market yard, which began in 1951 with an income of just Rs 15,000, has today risen to rank first in the state. More than 15,000 people move here daily, he said, adding that farmers are now paid online through RTGS, reinforcing transparency and efficiency. The Chief Minister reminded the audience of Prime Minister Narendra Modis 28 agricultural campaigns, stressing efforts to double farmers income through value addition and natural farming. He also pointed to the states response mechanism, noting that the government has announced a Rs 10,000 crore package to compensate losses, assuring farmers that the state would always stand by them. Patel later addressed the All India Mayors Council, where he described Surat as a mini India, highlighting its diversity and civic capacity. He underlined that public participation remains central to sustainable urban development placing citizens, not just institutions, at the core of the growth story.
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