Ahmedabad: Gujarat has recorded significant progress in rural development over the past 12 years under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, according to a release issued by the Gujarat Chief Minister’s Office (CMO). The state government said multiple flagship welfare schemes have played a key role in transforming rural infrastructure, livelihoods, sanitation, housing, and women empowerment across villages.
Employment Generation Through MGNREGS in Gujarat
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) has emerged as a major rural employment driver in Gujarat, generating more than 4,557 lakh person-days of work over the last 12 years.
Key highlights of the scheme include:
- Priority employment for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and women
- Over 19 lakh labour-intensive works completed
- Focus on water conservation, agricultural land development, plantation, and livestock-related activities
To improve transparency and efficiency, Gujarat has implemented advanced monitoring systems such as:
- Aadhaar-Based Payment System (ABPS)
- Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)
- National Mobile Monitoring App
- Drone inspections
- Geotagging and geofencing of works
Housing for All Under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin)
Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G), Gujarat has sanctioned more than 8.29 lakh rural houses between 2016 and 2026–27.
Progress so far:
- Over 6.99 lakh houses completed
- More than 1.38 lakh houses under construction
- Total government expenditure exceeds ₹9,213 crore
Financial assistance under the scheme includes:
- ₹1.20 lakh base assistance (60:40 Centre-State funding)
- Additional ₹50,000 at roof-casting stage from the State
- Total assistance raised to ₹1.70 lakh per beneficiary
- ₹25,920 for 90 days of labour under MGNREGS
- ₹12,000 for toilet construction
- ₹20,000 incentive for timely completion under Mukhyamantri Protsahak Yojana
- ₹5,000 additional support for women beneficiaries for bathroom construction
Special Housing Support for Tribal Communities Under PM-JANMAN
Since its launch in 2023, the PM-JANMAN scheme has delivered major housing support to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in Gujarat.
Key achievements:
- 9,151 pucca houses completed
- Beneficiary groups include Kathodi, Kotwalia, Padhar, Siddi, and Kolgha communities
- Total project cost exceeds ₹226 crore
- Direct financial assistance of ₹2 lakh per beneficiary transferred to bank accounts
Swachh Bharat Mission Boosts Rural Sanitation
Gujarat has strengthened rural sanitation under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), spending ₹5,994.54 crore out of a provision of ₹7,162.37 crore over 12 years.
Major achievements include:
- Construction of over 44.82 lakh household toilets
- Transition to ODF Plus Model villages after achieving Open Defecation Free status on 2 October 2019
Waste management initiatives include:
- 1.74 lakh community soak pits
- 56,369 community compost pits
- 13,575 segregation sheds
- 38 cluster-based biogas plants under GOBARdhan
- 14,000 individual biogas plants
The state has also promoted a “Waste to Wealth” model to improve rural sanitation and energy generation.
Watershed Development Strengthens Water Security
Under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (Watershed Development Component), Gujarat has completed 1,36,589 development works over the last 12 years, with an investment of ₹617.90 crore.
Key focus areas include:
- Soil and water conservation
- Rainwater harvesting
- Groundwater recharge improvement
- Construction of check dams, ponds, causeways, and farm ponds
- Ecological balance through sustainable land and water management
Women Empowerment Through GLPC and Self-Help Groups
The Gujarat Livelihood Promotion Company Limited (GLPC) has played a major role in empowering rural women under the DAY-NRLM programme.
Highlights include:
- Formation of 2.82 lakh Self-Help Groups (SHGs)
- Participation of 26.25 lakh rural women across 248 talukas
- Financial assistance exceeding ₹5,600 crore through revolving funds, CIF, and bank linkages
Women empowerment initiatives also include:
- Over 6 lakh women becoming financially self-reliant under the Lakhpati Didi campaign
- Market access through SARAS Melas, regional fairs, and e-commerce platforms
- More than 300 Mangalam Canteens providing sustainable livelihoods
The Gujarat government’s rural development initiatives over the past 12 years reflect a strong focus on employment generation, housing, sanitation, water conservation, and women-led economic growth. According to the CMO release, these integrated welfare schemes continue to strengthen rural livelihoods and support Gujarat’s long-term development vision.
