Surat: Chief minister Bhupendra Patel on Saturday inaugurated and laid foundation stones for multiple development projects in Surat, with a total outlay of nearly Rs 600 crore.The CM inaugurated development works worth Rs 249 crore undertaken by the Surat Municipal Corporation and Surat Urban Development Authority (SUDA), and laid the foundation stone for projects worth Rs 109.51 crore. He also laid the foundation stone for projects worth around Rs 242 crore to be implemented by the Urban Ring Development Corporation Ltd (URDCL), which is developing the ring road around the Diamond City.The programme was held at the convention hall of Veer Narmad South Gujarat University. Addressing the gathering, Patel said that Surat residents were being provided development works worth around Rs 600 crore. He added that comprehensive economic and social development of cities, along with smart and sustainable urban planning, forms the foundation for achieving Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat.Later in the day, the CM attended the inaugural session of the 116th executive committee meeting of the All India Mayors’ Council, being held in the Pal area of the city. Cabinet minister for urban development and finance Kanu Desai, along with mayors and office-bearers of municipal corporations from 16 states, were present at the event.Speaking at the meeting, Patel said Prime Minister Modi, during his tenure as Gujarat chief minister, had transformed the challenges of urbanisation into opportunities by introducing a modern urban development model.Earlier, the chief minister inaugurated the state’s first elevated vegetable market yard built by the Surat Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC). The facility features a two-way ramp that allows heavy vehicles to directly access the first floor. A 100-foot-wide ramp enables tempos and trucks to unload produce directly in front of shops, reducing congestion and improving logistics for farmers and traders.The first floor of the market houses 108 hi-tech shops with storerooms. The facility also includes goods and passenger lifts, RCC internal roads, parking for 200 cars and 4,000 two-wheelers on the first floor, a free primary healthcare centre for farmers, traders and workers, and a seed distribution centre for farmers.
