Gujarat doubles development grant for districts hosting National, State festivals outside Capital, up to Rs 15 crore

Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], August 7 (ANI): Strengthening its tradition of promoting patriotism alongside development, the Gujarat Government has doubled the development grant for districts hosting state-level National Day celebrations and Gujarat State Foundation Day events outside the state capital, Gandhinagar.
According to an official release from Gujarat Chief Minister's Office, under the revised provisions, host districts will now receive development grants ranging from Rs 10 crore to Rs 15 crore for rural, urban, and municipal corporation areas.
This decision strengthens the development tradition started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and carried forward under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, under which state-level celebrations of Republic Day, Independence Day, and Gujarat State Foundation Day are organised across different districts instead of being confined to the state capital.
In 2003, the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi introduced the tradition of organising state-level celebrations of Republic Day, Independence Day, and Gujarat State Foundation Day in districts outside Gandhinagar. As part of this initiative, the first state-level Independence Day celebration outside the capital was held in Patan district on August 15, 2003.
The objective of this initiative was not only to take national celebrations to different parts of the state but also to accelerate development in the districts that had the opportunity to host these state-level events. Over the years, this tradition has become a distinctive feature of Gujarat's governance and development model, a release said.
The General Administration Department (GAD), functioning under the direct leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, passed a resolution on August 6, 2026, to double the development grant for districts hosting state-level national and state celebrations.
Under this decision, the District Development Officer (DDO) will now receive Rs 5 crore for rural development in the district hosting a state-level National Day celebration or Gujarat State Foundation Day. Earlier, this amount was Rs 2.50 crore. Similarly, municipalities in the host district will receive a grant of Rs 5 crore for urban development, which will be allocated through the District Collector. If the venue falls within the jurisdiction of a Municipal Corporation, the Municipal Commissioner will receive a development grant of up to Rs 5 crore.
With these revised provisions, a total development grant of up to Rs 15 crore will now be available across the three development sectors. In other words, the grant has been increased by 100 percent in every category compared to the earlier provisions.
However, if the host district does not have a Municipal Corporation area, the total development grant will be limited to Rs 10 crore. For example, the state-level Independence Day celebration on August 15, 2026, will be held in Amreli. Since Amreli does not have a Municipal Corporation, the district will receive Rs 5 crore for rural development and Rs 5 crore for municipal areas, amounting to a total development grant of Rs 10 crore instead of Rs 15 crore, a release further said.
This decision of the Gujarat Government makes national celebrations a platform for both patriotism and local development. Districts hosting state-level celebrations will not only celebrate these important occasions but will also receive a boost in development works.
The decision taken under the leadership of the Chief Minister carries forward Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of combining patriotism, public participation, and development. National celebrations outside the state capital will continue to promote pride while driving development across Gujarat, a release added. (ANI)