Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Wednesday, 17 September 2026, called on citizens across the state to light an 'Aashirwad no Divo' at 7 pm on Thursday as part of the 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan' — a statewide service campaign organised to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 76th birthday and his 25 years of public service.

The Appeal and Its Occasion

Patel made the appeal at a 'Gau-Matrushakti Sanskriti Namo Vandan' and women's empowerment programme hosted by the Sitavan Gir Gaushala Parivar in Ahmedabad, held on the eve of the Prime Minister's birthday. The 'Aashirwad no Divo' lamp-lighting initiative is one of several activities lined up under the campaign, which formally begins on 17 September.

The Chief Minister noted that Prime Minister Modi is set to complete 25 years of dedicated public service on 7 October, and the 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan' has been conceived as a tribute to that milestone. 'The service campaign is being organised to mark this journey, with the Gau Daan and Seva Parv beginning in Ahmedabad ahead of the statewide programme,' Patel said.

Cow Donation and Women's Empowerment

At the event, 76 healthy indigenous Gir cows were gifted to 76 needy women drawn from tribal, widow, backward and economically weaker communities. The initiative was described as an effort to link cow care with women's self-employment and livelihood generation.

Patel said the cow remains deeply connected to rural life and plays a role in sustaining farmers and strengthening household economies. He framed the gesture as a pathway to making women 'economically self-reliant' through livestock-based livelihoods.

Tribal Development and the Integrated Dairy Scheme

The Chief Minister highlighted the state government's Integrated Dairy Development Scheme, under which women in 14 tribal districts receive two milch animals along with livestock insurance, transportation and treatment support. According to Patel, more than 1.85 lakh livestock have so far been distributed to tribal women beneficiaries under this programme.

He also pointed to infrastructure work in tribal regions — including education, healthcare, housing, drinking water, irrigation, all-weather roads and round-the-clock electricity — as evidence of the government's broader inclusion agenda. 'The objective of building a developed Gujarat alongside a developed India required bringing poor, deprived and tribal communities into the mainstream,' he said.

Natural Farming and Cow Conservation

Patel also underscored the state government's push for natural farming using indigenous cattle, noting that financial assistance is being provided to farmers for maintaining indigenous cows. The Sitavan Gir Gaushala, operated by Daskroi MLA Babu Patel and his family, with Vaibhavbhai Patel coordinating service activities, is central to the conservation and cow protection work linked to the event.

Beyond the cow donations themselves, beneficiaries are also receiving guidance on cattle care and livestock management, extending the programme's reach into skills and capacity building. With the statewide 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan' kicking off on 17 September, similar events are expected to be replicated across Gujarat's districts over the coming weeks.