Gandhinagar: Chief minister Bhupendra Patel on Sunday led a series of environmental and public welfare initiatives to mark the 62nd Foundation Day of Gandhinagar.Patel planted a sapling under the ‘Ek Ped Ma Ke Naam’ campaign, inspected a rainwater recharge well at Koba, and distributed benefits under various state govt welfare schemes.Organised by Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation (GMC), the celebrations focused on environmental conservation, groundwater recharge and welfare delivery, in line with the Centre’s ‘Ek Ped Ma Ke Naam’ and ‘Catch the Rain’ campaigns.As part of a larger afforestation drive, the civic body announced plans to plant 14,000 native trees across the city, including peepal, banyan, mango and jamun. Of these, 4,000 saplings will be planted at Koba Lake and 10,000 at Bhat.The chief minister also distributed benefits under several govt schemes. Three sanitation workers were honoured with the ‘Best Sanitation Worker’ award for their contribution to maintaining cleanliness in the city. Under the PM SVANidhi scheme, eight beneficiaries received loan assistance of Rs 2.55 lakh to support small traders and street vendors.Patel also distributed nutrition kits under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) supplementary nutrition scheme, aimed at tackling malnutrition among adolescent girls, children and pregnant women. GMC said similar kits would be distributed to 1,500 mothers across the city as part of the Foundation Day celebrations.An official statement said beneficiaries were also given Ayushman Bharat cards to enable access to cashless healthcare services. Under the TB-Free India campaign, tuberculosis patients received nutrition kits containing protein and other essential nutrients. Examination preparation book kits were also distributed to schools to support students preparing for govt competitive examinations.
