Ahmedabad: President Droupadi Murmu said Gujarat accounts for about 5 percent of the country's population while contributing about 20 percent of the total national agricultural production. She said that successful experiments of agricultural development of Gujarat are being adopted all over the country, said a statement from her office.
Murmu is on a three-day-tour to Gujarat from October 3 to 4, 2022. This will be her first visit to Gujarat as the President. After landing in Ahmedabad, the President visited Sabarmati Ashram where she paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and spun the charkha.
The President said that for a very long time, the geographical location of Gujarat, especially in parts of North Gujarat, Saurashtra and Kutch, water scarcity had caused great problems to the people. "But today that situation has changed completely. Under the 'Sardar Sarovar Project', irrigation water is being provided to the people from a vast canal network," she said.
"This has changed the lives of lakhs of people. She was happy to note that according to the ‘Composite Water Management Index’ of NITI Aayog, Gujarat has been ranked first in the country in water management for the past three years," she added.
The President said that in the field of healthcare, Gujarat has made impressive achievements. She noted that Gujarat is the first state in India to issue health cards to pregnant women. She was also happy to note that according to a report of NITI Aayog released in 2020-21, Gujarat ranks first in the country in achieving the Sustainable Development Goal "Good Health and Well-being".
The President expressed confidence that projects which are inaugurated and for which foundation stones were laid today, will create new employment and business opportunities for farmers and entrepreneurs. She was also confident that Super Speciality Hospital and Medical College, whose foundation stones were laid today will cater to the needs of the tribal population of Narmada district.
The President said that the people of Gujarat have a culture of enterprise and innovation. The entrepreneurs of Gujarat have given a special identity to Gujarat and India. Gujarat is one of the leading states in the country in terms of development. She said that Gujarat has presented examples of natural farming and environmental protection along with industrial progress.
Later in the evening, she attended a civic reception hosted by the Government of Gujarat in her honour in Gandhinagar. On October 4, 2022, the President will launch 'herStart' – a start-up platform of Gujarat University for women entrepreneurs and inaugurate/lay the foundation stone for various projects related to education and tribal development at Gujarat University, Ahmedabad.
