Gandhinagar, Feb 5 (IANS) Gujarat has taken a significant step in strengthening healthcare and regional development with the introduction of 14 advanced MRI machines and the inauguration of 31 development projects in Kheda district.

The new MRI machines, each featuring 1.5 Tesla technology and valued at Rs 12.75 crore, have been purchased at a total cost of Rs 178.54 crore on Thursday.

They will be installed at GMERS and Civil Hospitals in Dharpur, Vadnagar, Valsad, Junagadh, Navsari, Rajpipla, Godhra, Porbandar, Morbi, Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Jamnagar, and Visnagar.

The machines are expected to provide patients with faster, more accurate, and high-quality diagnostic services, improving access to affordable healthcare across the state.

On the same day, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurated 31 development projects worth over Rs 348 crore in Kheda district, coinciding with the establishment of the new Fagvel taluka.

Thirteen projects, valued at over Rs 234 crore, were formally inaugurated, while 18 projects, worth more than Rs 113 crore, had their foundation stones laid.

The initiatives cover irrigation, water supply, roads, buildings, health services, and animal husbandry.

Paying respects to Veer Bhathiji Maharaj in Fagvel, CM Patel said: “Fagvel is a land of bravery and devotion, recognised not only in Gujarat but across India. In 2002, Prime Minister Narendra Modi initiated the Gujarat Gaurav Yatra from this sacred land, and today this development journey has reached a global scale under his leadership.”

He added: “Under the Mukhyamantri Gramotthan Yojana, 114 villages without municipal status will receive city-level facilities. This scheme will soon expand to larger villages with populations exceeding 10,000. Land for the Fagvel Taluka Service Centre has already been allocated, and within a year, citizens will have access to a modern administrative facility.”

Cabinet Minister Raman Solanki described the occasion as “a new dawn of development” for Fagvel.

He said the inauguration of irrigation, water supply, and rural infrastructure projects would transform the region and improve public welfare.

State Revenue Minister Sanjaysinh Mahida observed: “Kheda, previously known for tobacco (golden leaf) production, is now advancing rapidly towards comprehensive development under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.”

The event was attended by senior ministers, MLAs, district officials, municipal authorities, and residents.

–IANS

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