Gandhinagar, Nov 30 (IANS) The widely popular SWAGAT online programme in Gujarat continues to deliver lasting solutions to core issues faced by residents in remote regions. A recent example is Moddar village in Porbandar district. This small settlement near Kutiyana, home to about 1,200 people, is celebrating a long-awaited resolution made possible through this initiative.

During a recent programme, Lakhman Moddara and other farmers from Moddar village in Porbandar presented their long-standing road concern before Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. They requested the construction of a road and a bridge to ensure direct access to Kutiyana.

Recognising the need and urgency of the project, the Chief Minister immediately sanctioned Rs 9 crore. Approval for the road and bridge works was granted with instructions for swift execution. The work is now set to commence on a minor bridge, culvert, and three-kilometre stretch of road between Moddar and Pasvari villages.

Villagers also expressed gratitude to the government for prompt action. Lakhman said that they received a call from the Chief Minister’s Office on the fourth day informing them that their issue had been resolved and that Rs 9 crore had been sanctioned. He explained that villagers had long hoped for a direct road and bridge to Kutiyana, as they currently travel nearly 20 kilometres through four villages.

Moddar lies in the Ghed region, where the river remains full for eight months of the year, and the road is accessible for only four months.

The villagers first raised this concern at the District SWAGAT Programme, after which the Porbandar Collector facilitated the removal of obstructions and reopened the old road. However, the villagers continued to seek a bridge as a permanent solution. When the issue was presented again at the Chief Minister’s SWAGAT Programme, the long-awaited resolution finally followed.

Rameshbhai Karangiya said that the new road will serve as a lifeline for the village. It will provide students with easier access to school, enable farmers to reach their fields more efficiently, and ensure that patients in medical emergencies can be taken to hospitals without delay, potentially saving lives.

–IANS

mr/uk