Gandhinagar, March 12 (IANS) Gujarat’s legislators have been urged to promote yoga across their constituencies under a ‘One Booth, One Yoga Class’ approach as part of the state government’s campaign to tackle rising obesity and promote healthier lifestyles.

The call was made during a special yoga dialogue programme titled ‘Ek Kadam Yogmay Vidhansabha Taraf’, organised by the Gujarat State Yoga Board at the new MLA residences in Gandhinagar in the presence of Assembly Speaker Shankar Chaudhary.

The event brought together MLAs to discuss ways of expanding yoga activities at the grassroots level.

The programme forms part of the state’s ‘Swasth Gujarat – Medasvita Mukt Gujarat’ campaign, which aims to encourage healthier lifestyles and address the growing challenge of obesity.

According to organisers, the initiative seeks to transform yoga into a mass movement through elected representatives and support the broader vision of ‘Viksit Gujarat, Viksit Bharat’.

The campaign follows concerns raised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ radio address about the rising incidence of obesity.

In response, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel announced during the recent Assembly session that the current year would be observed as the ‘Swasth Gujarat’ campaign year.

State authorities said a series of programmes are being conducted across Gujarat to promote the initiative.

The activities are being carried out under the leadership of Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi and the guidance of Sports Minister Jayram Gamit, with Gujarat State Yog Board chairman Sheeshpal Rajput overseeing the efforts.

During the Gandhinagar event, MLAs were encouraged to expand yoga activities in their constituencies and help establish what organisers described as a ‘Yogmay Vidhansabha’.

The initiative proposes that at least one yoga class be organised at every polling booth area, advancing wider participation among residents.

Officials associated with the programme said yoga should be viewed not only as physical exercise but as a way of life that can help address lifestyle-related health issues.

They emphasised the importance of combining yoga practice with a balanced diet to reduce obesity and related illnesses.

According to the Gujarat State Yoga Board, more than 50 lakh people in the state have already been connected with yoga through its programmes.

The Board said the current campaign aims to expand that reach to five crore citizens with the support of MLAs and local community initiatives.

“The initiative is intended to strengthen Gujarat’s contribution to the broader national goal of building a healthier population as part of the vision for a developed India,” officials added.

–IANS

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