Three Gujarat districts stood on the national stage on Monday, October 12, 2026 — and took home awards that put the state's agricultural administration in the spotlight. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel announced that Kutch, Dahod, and Chhota Udaipur have earned national-level recognition under the Pradhan Mantri Dhan Dhanya Krishi Yojana (PM-DDKY), as the flagship agriculture scheme completes its first year of implementation.

The awards were presented in New Delhi by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan at a ceremony marking one year of the scheme. Kutch district was honoured in the category of 'Better Governance and Service Delivery' (બેટર ગવર્નન્સ અને સર્વિસ ડિલિવરી), while Dahod and Chhota Udaipur — two districts with significant tribal populations in eastern Gujarat — were recognised for excellence in 'Improving Irrigation Infrastructure' (ઈમ્પ્રુવિંગ ઈરિગેશન ઈન્ફ્રાસ્ટ્રક્ચર). CM Patel called it a moment of 'gaurav ane anand' — pride and joy — for the entire state.

What the PM Dhan Dhanya Krishi Yojana targets

The Pradhan Mantri Dhan Dhanya Krishi Yojana was launched with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aimed at improving agricultural productivity, farm incomes, and on-ground delivery of government services in identified districts across India. The scheme focuses specifically on districts that have historically lagged in agricultural output, bringing targeted investment in irrigation, credit access, and administrative efficiency. The first year's performance evaluation — resulting in these district-level national rankings — signals that the scheme has built in an accountability mechanism from the outset.

Why Dahod and Chhota Udaipur stand out

Dahod and Chhota Udaipur are among Gujarat's easternmost tribal districts, where irrigation coverage has traditionally been a persistent challenge for smallholder and tribal farmers. Recognition in the 'Improving Irrigation Infrastructure' category is particularly significant here — it reflects measurable on-ground work in expanding water access for communities that depend heavily on rain-fed agriculture. Kutch, meanwhile, India's largest district by area and one with an arid landscape, being recognised for governance and service delivery points to administrative transformation in a geography where reaching farmers has never been straightforward.

CM Patel's message to farmers and officials

In his post, CM Patel extended congratulations to the district administrations, agriculture department officers, and — notably — the 'khedut bhai-baheno' (farmer brothers and sisters) of all three districts. He reaffirmed that the Gujarat government remains committed to the holistic development of farmers and the sustainable growth of the agriculture sector. The acknowledgement of farmers alongside bureaucrats reflects a deliberate framing: that the award belongs to the communities that drove the outcomes, not only the administrators who managed them.

With Gujarat claiming three national awards in PM-DDKY's inaugural year, the state sets an early benchmark — and one that will likely sharpen the competitive pressure on other states as the scheme enters its second year.