Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel on Wednesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will declare the country Open Defecation Free (ODF) from Ahmedabad on October 2. Patel at a press conference held in Gandhinagar said that PM Modi will make the announcement from the Sabarmati Riverfront when he will visit the city to celebrate the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. “He will also address a gathering of more than 20,000 sarpanchs. Out of which 10,000 will be from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar and many other states along with the other 10,000 from Union Territories,” said Patel. He said over 60% of the attendees for the event are expected to be women. “10,000 sarpanchs from various states will be divided into four zones namely Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Mehsana and be made to visit a number of places that remind of the Mahatma such as Gandhi Ashram, Dandi Kutir,” he said. Reportedly, more than 400 buses have been arranged for providing transportation. October 2 is being celebrated as Swachhata Divas across the country. Meanwhile, Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla visited the Statue of Unity to take stock of the preparations ahead of PM Modi’s visit to the state.

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