Loans up to Rs 1 lakh will be available at 2 percent interest, said Chief Minister Vijaybhai Rupani

Gujarat assembly elections will be held in two phases for 182 seats on December 9 and 14 and results will be announced on December 18. Hence, from today, the model code of conduct has come into force, which bans the use of government machinery or announcements that can influence voters.

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In his speech, Amit Shah enumerated the achievements of Modi as Gujarat CM and said as the PM the senior leader had ensured that his home state got Rs.1.58 lakh crore as per the 14th Finance Commission, a quantum jump from the Rs.63,000 crore provided by the preceding 13th Finance Commission. “Our governments have reduced the 16% interest levied on farm loans until 1995 to zero per cent now.”

With Gujarat polls around the corner and the Congress giving neck-to-neck competition to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, on Monday, announced farm loans of up to Rs 3 lakh at zero per cent interest. The move, aimed at wooing voters of rural Gujarat, is likely to benefit 2.5 million farmers.

Of the 508 km stretch, 92 percent (468 kilometres) of the route will be elevated, six percent (27 kilometres) in tunnels and the remaining two percent (13 kilometres) will be on the ground. The high speed train would also pass through the country’s longest tunnel of 21 kilometres, of which seven kilometres will be under the sea.

Switching to Gujarati, the PM assured the business community to trust the BJP and its government’s word on the issue of GST which, he said, had been approved by all political parties. “We are making efforts to sort out pending bottlenecks, if any, in periodical GST Council meetings.” He also assured them that their old records will not be scrutinised again. “Some people are trying to incite honest businessmen.”

Modi and Abe also laid the foundation stone for the Vadodara High Speed training institute. The high speed rail project that is scheduled to be completed by 2022, has been financed by Japan. Of the Rs 1.08 crore, Japan is giving a loan of Rs 88,000 crore at a minimal interest of 0.1 per cent for 50 years. And the repayment will begin only after 15 years.

Earlier, Rupani said the State exchequer would incur a burden of over ₹700 crore following its decision to waive interest on farm loans. This would benefit 25 lakh farmers in the State, he said. So far, they were getting loans at an interest rate of 7 per cent. Of this, the Centre and the State bore 4 per cent and 2 per cent respectively by way of subsidy, respectively, while the farmer paid the balance 1 per cent interest, which has now been waived.

“We had snapped electricity connections of over 6.20 lakh people from rural areas for not paying the energy bills in time. The amount of unpaid bills stands at Rs 625 crore. Now, our government has decided to waive this entire bill amount,” he said.

With Assembly elections in Gujarat likely to be announced after Diwali, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Monday declared a waiver of interest on farm loans of up to ₹3 lakh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a visit to his home State, declared that he will inaugurate his “dream project” on Sunday, October 22. He simultaneously attacked the Congress for “spreading pessimism” about the economy and being “anti-Gujarat”.

VADODARA: On 57th Foundation Day, Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel today said her government has decided to make 300 villages across the state self-reliant on the lines of smart cities. “Now that the concept of Smart Cities has reached Smart Villages, the government decided to make 300 villages self-reliant, clean and hygienic during this year,” she said in an official release here today. Patel was in Chhotaudepur town of the tribal-dominated district, about 100 kms from here to attend state-level Foundation Day celebrations. Gujarat Governor O P Kohli will also attend the event later in the day. Announcing a slew of measures on the occasion, Patel in her message said, “the government will set up a Tribal university in the Narmada district, over 100 smart Ashram shalas, 10 new hostels for tribal girl students at a cost of Rs 3 crore, besides ‘Samras’ hostels at a cost of Rs 10 crore.” “The government has reserved 33 per cent in jobs for women, under which 2,800 women have been employed in police department. There is a plan to provide jobs to 22,000 women this year,” she said. This is in addition to providing 300 sq m land and Rs 5 lakh assistance to milk societies run by women to construct milk houses, besides providing chilling centres, milking machines and chaff cutters to 2.50 lakh Sakhi Mandals (Self-Help Groups) of 35 lakh women. To realise the goal of health for all, Patel said, “we have started certain key schemes like screening of 78 lakh women to test breast, cervical and mouth cancer besides treatment of 1,018 women cancer patients in super speciality hospitals free-of-cost, relief for poor and middle-class families under Amritam-Ma Yojna.” Also, allocation under Ma-Vatsalya Yojna has been increased by 33 per cent to Rs 160 crore and the government is bearing the cost up to Rs 2 lakh for each such patient, she said. “The government has decided to provide free medicine to diabetes and blood pressure patients. It has decided to spend Rs 102 crore on 100 vehicles in 108 ambulance service. “The government has earmarked Rs 27,000 crore in the current financial year for farmers, agriculture and allied sectors, including loan up to Rs 3 lakh with 1 per cent interest for Rabi crop. “Rs 9,500 crore for drinking and irrigation water, Rs 5,200 crore for filling up dams in Saurashtra, Rs 765 crore for drip irrigation in Rs 3 lakh hectares and Rs 495 crore for the Prime Minister’s Crop Insurance Scheme,” she said. The state will bear the cost of Rs 126 crore for seeds, fertilisers and farm implements, Rs 120 crore as assistance to farmers buy tractor-trailers, loan at 5 per cent interest to help farmers buy cattle, Patel said. “Cleanliness is our culture and Gujarat is poised to set an example before the nation. Gujarat has alone built 70 per cent of toilets built in the country. We resolve to ensure not a single village remains without toilet,” she said. Gujarat has also shown the way to the nation in door-to-door waste collection, fulfilling the dream of building house for urban and rural poor, she added. The state government has built 1.37 lakh houses as against a target of 3.51 lakh houses in urban areas and another 2.70 lakh houses are being built in rural areas, she said. “The government has introduced Lok Samvad Setu to ensure at least 90 per cent of people’s problems are solved at complainant level,” she added. “We have started ‘Mukhya Mantri Yuva Swavalambi Yojna’ to provide equal opportunity, economic assistance and other facilities for them to pursue studies. We are providing textbooks, uniform and scholarships to 92 lakh children under this scheme and also Rs 35.42 crore assistance to meritorious students of the state for higher studies,” the Chief minister said. The state government has announced a policy as per the Centre’s ‘Startup India’ and ‘Standup India’ campaigns. A startup mission has been set up to realise innovative dreams of youth. The state government is spending crores of rupees to promote excellence in sports through Khel Mahakumbh. It has announced new sports policy. It has presented third successive gender Budget for the empowerment of women, the chief minster added.