Summary:
Ahmedabad, Aug 9 (PTI) Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Tuesday inaugurated or performed ground-breaking ceremonies of over 5,600 projects worth Rs 1,600 crore at an event in Dahod on the occasion of International Day of the World"s Indigenous People.
While the main event to mark the occasion, also known as World Tribal Day, was held at Melaniya village of tribal-dominated Dahod district, other BJP ministers were present at programmes organised at 26 places with significant adivasi population in Gujarat, said a state government release.
In his address at Dahod after inaugurating or performing ground-breaking ceremonies of over 5,600 projects worth Rs 1,600 crore, CM Patel said the BJP government in the state has increased the budget for tribal population 26 times over the last 20 years.
The state government has spent nearly Rs 1,00,000 crore so far for providing employment, education, hospitals, roads and other infrastructure in tribal areas, the release said, quoting Patel.
During the last 20 years, the state administration made the lives of tribal population easier by spending Rs 20,745 crore on various development works, said the CM, adding his government allocated Rs 2,656.40 crore for welfare and uplift of ST communities in the budget for FY 2021-22.
On the occasion, Patel launched the official logo of the upcoming Birsa Munda Tribal University in Narmada district and felicitated academically bright students of Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities.
Patel said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he was Gujarat CM, built the foundation for the overall development of tribal population in the state.
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