Gandhinagar, June 27 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday directed officials in Gandhinagar district to immediately identify villages lacking basic amenities such as domestic gas connections, toilets, drinking water, irrigation facilities and electricity, and prepare a detailed report, while chairing a meeting of the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA).

The meeting was chaired by Shah in his Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency. Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi was present.

Members of Parliament, MLAs, the District Collector, the District Development Officer, presidents of district and taluka panchayats and municipalities, and officials from various departments attended the review.

Shah instructed officials to conduct an immediate survey of villages without essential civic services, including household gas connections, toilets, drinking water, irrigation infrastructure, and electricity, and to submit a report for further action.

Reviewing the implementation of Central Government flagship schemes and district development works, Shah also directed officials to conduct an immediate survey of landholding farmers and ensure that every farmer is provided with at least two livestock animals so that “no farmer remains without livestock”.

In view of the delayed monsoon, Shah instructed officials to prepare an immediate contingency plan and undertake a survey of rain-fed areas to assess the situation and compile the necessary details.

The Union Home Minister also directed the education department to establish cluster schools by grouping three to four villages together to reduce the dropout rate among girls at the secondary level.

He further instructed officials to raise awareness of the newly established libraries and connect them with the district’s main library to encourage reading among students.

Referring to the Chief Minister Gram Sadak Yojana, Shah asked officials to clarify the definition of “village” and to include hamlets or habitations with at least 35 houses and electricity connections within the scheme’s eligibility criteria.

He also issued strict instructions to ensure that all senior citizens aged 70 years and above in the district receive their Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) cards without delay, directing officials to carry out the exercise on a war footing.

The meeting began with an address by District Collector Ravindra Khatale, followed by a detailed presentation by the district administration on measures taken for the overall development of the Gandhinagar parliamentary constituency and future plans.

The DISHA committee, constituted by the Ministry of Rural Development, monitors the implementation of Central Government schemes and programmes at the district level and reviews the progress of development initiatives to ensure their effective implementation.

–IANS

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