In Baratad village of Mahuva taluka in Surat district, a grand district-level celebration of ‘Tribal Pride Day’ was held under the chairmanship of Agriculture Minister Raghvajibhai Patel, marking the 150th birth anniversary of freedom fighter and tribal leader Birsa Munda.
During the event, Agriculture Minister Raghvajibhai Patel performed the foundation stone laying ceremony for the construction of an Eklavya Model Residential School, which will be built at a cost of ₹30 crore. Addressing the gathering, Minister Patel emphasized that Gujarat has taken a leading role in ensuring the overall development of the tribal community, introducing several welfare schemes. He stated that Gujarat has taken a leadership position in tribal development and is at the forefront of ensuring a solid and all-encompassing approach to the upliftment of the tribal society.
Minister Patel shared that the government has made substantial investments, including ₹130 crore for government hostels, ₹1227 crore for educational facilities in 75 model residential schools, and ₹24.87 crore for Samras hostels. These initiatives are part of the government’s continued commitment to enhancing the quality of life for the tribal community.
During the event, local MLA Mohanbhai raised concerns regarding difficulties in obtaining the benefits of schemes due to the challenges faced by the joint departments in Mahuva. In response, Minister Patel assured that necessary steps would be taken to resolve these issues.
MLA Mohanbhai further pointed out that the construction of the Eklavya Model Residential School would provide direct admission to 50% of the students in the taluka. He also highlighted ongoing infrastructure improvements, including the construction of roads, bridges, and the establishment of veterinary colleges in the future to support the local livestock sector.
The ceremony also included the recognition of Saizalben, the Sarpanch of Baratad village, for her proactive approach in providing land for the construction of the residential school. Minister Patel also distributed welfare benefits to the beneficiaries of various tribal welfare schemes during the event.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a virtual address from Jamui, Bihar, interacted with the beneficiaries of the ‘Prime Minister Tribal Justice Mega Campaign – PM Janman’ as part of the nationwide launch of the ‘Dharti Abba Tribal Rural Upliftment Campaign.’
The live broadcast of this e-interaction was viewed by attendees in Surat, including district panchayat president Bhavini Patel, chairman of the construction committee Rakeshbhai, taluka panchayat president Shilaben, district development officer Shivani Goyal, project coordinator Nidhi Shivay, and other senior officials, along with a large number of local villagers.
