Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated and laid foundation stones for around 30 development projects of the Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC), worth Rs 1,024 crore, in his Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency on Monday.
Several areas of western Ahmedabad, including stretches of the Sarkhej-Gandhinagar (SG) Highway, fall under Shah's Lok Sabha constituency.
SG Highway flyover is the centrepiece
The key project is a flyover on the busy SG Highway, an elevated corridor connecting ISKCON Crossroads to Sanand. The National Highways Authority of India built it at a cost of Rs 464 crore.
The corridor aims to ease traffic congestion along a stretch that carries more than two lakh vehicles daily, particularly those travelling between Saurashtra and Gandhinagar.
"The flyover has been constructed to address the heavy flow of traffic. It will greatly benefit residents and commuters travelling between Saurashtra and Gandhinagar," Ahmedabad Mayor Hitesh Barot said.
Five events across the city
Shah attended five events across Ahmedabad through the morning, starting at 10:30 am with an underpass on the National Highway at Academy Bridge in Jahangirpura, according to a programme shared by BJP Gujarat.
At 11 am, he inaugurated a monument built by the AMC with the support of the Shrinath Foundation at the Motera Dome Centre in Chandkheda. At 11:15 am, he inaugurated a newly built Urban Health Centre on Science City Road in Gota.
At 11:45 am, Shah inaugurated a redeveloped housing project at Ramapir Tekra in Sector 5 of Stadium Ward. The main programme followed at noon on a ground opposite the Ranip State Transport bus station, in the presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.
Housing and health in the package
Along with the flyover, the key projects include the Jodhpur Knowledge Hub and an Urban Health Centre in Gota. The programme also featured a major housing allotment initiative for Economically Weaker Section (EWS) beneficiaries.
According to Barot, the AMC has built around 7,800 EWS housing units across 11 locations and received more than 97,000 applications for allotment. A computerised lottery draw was held on Monday in Shah's presence to allocate the houses, and nearly 1,000 completed units in the Ramapir No Tekro area were handed over to beneficiaries.
A four-day visit to Gujarat
Shah arrived in Gujarat on Friday evening for a four-day visit during the Diwali and Gujarati New Year festivities. On Saturday, he chaired a meeting with various divisions of the Ministry of Home Affairs to discuss Gujarat's internal security and urban development.
The discussions covered preparations for the 2030 Commonwealth Games, urban development and law and order in Ahmedabad, along with the implementation of the three new criminal laws and measures to curb drug trafficking and cybercrime.
Shah is expected to meet BJP office-bearers, party workers and well-wishers at his residence on November 11, coinciding with the Gujarati New Year, before returning to Delhi.
