Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday, 27 June directed officials in Gandhinagar district to immediately identify villages lacking basic civic amenities — including household gas connections, toilets, drinking water, irrigation infrastructure, and electricity — and submit a detailed report for follow-up action. Shah issued the directives while chairing a meeting of the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) in his Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency.

Key Directives from the DISHA Meeting

Shah instructed district officials to conduct an immediate survey of all villages in Gandhinagar that remain without essential services. The survey is expected to feed into a structured action plan for bridging civic gaps under Central Government flagship schemes.

He also directed officials to survey landholding farmers across the district and ensure that every farmer is provided with at least two livestock animals, stating that 'no farmer remains without livestock.' The directive reflects a push to strengthen rural livelihoods beyond crop income.

Monsoon Preparedness and Rural Infrastructure

With the 2025 monsoon arriving later than anticipated in parts of Gujarat, Shah instructed officials to prepare an immediate contingency plan and survey rain-fed areas to assess ground conditions. The directive underscores the Centre's concern about agrarian stress in districts dependent on rainfall.

On rural connectivity, Shah asked officials to revisit the definition of 'village' under the Chief Minister Gram Sadak Yojana and extend eligibility to hamlets or habitations with at least 35 houses and electricity connections — a move that could bring previously excluded settlements within the road-scheme's ambit.

Education, Libraries, and Healthcare

Shah directed the education department to establish cluster schools by grouping three to four villages together, with the explicit aim of reducing the dropout rate among girls at the secondary level. He also instructed officials to raise awareness of newly established libraries and link them with the district's main library to foster a reading culture among students.

On healthcare, Shah issued instructions on a 'war footing' basis to ensure all senior citizens aged 70 years and above in Gandhinagar district receive their Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) cards without delay — a directive that signals urgency around the scheme's last-mile delivery.

Who Attended and What Was Reviewed

The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, Members of Parliament, MLAs, District Collector Ravindra Khatale, the District Development Officer, presidents of district and taluka panchayats and municipalities, and officials from various departments. The session opened with an address by Khatale, followed by a detailed presentation on development measures and future plans for the Gandhinagar parliamentary constituency.

The DISHA committee, constituted by the Ministry of Rural Development, is mandated to monitor the implementation of Central Government schemes at the district level and review the progress of development initiatives. Saturday's meeting covered both scheme implementation and pending infrastructure gaps.

The directives are expected to translate into district-level action plans in the coming weeks, with officials tasked to report back on survey findings and timelines.