Gujarat setting example in helping urban poor: Narendra Modi

Distributing equipment worth Rs43.38cr to urban poor during state government's Garib Kalyan Mela at Odhav in Ahmedabad, Chief minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the Mela is a state government's initiative to help urban poor to combat poverty.

Modi distributed accessories to around six thousand urban poor under 30 schemes in Odhav. Modi said that Garib Kalyan Mela has broken the tradition of helping the poor at the time of elections only. "Poor people are also human beings and not vote bank
machines," Modi stated.

Taking a dig on the arch rivals Congress, Modi said that budget and such schemes existed even earlier. "But where did crore of rupees go at that time," he asked, adding, "I want to remove all ills using this Mela which is a bulldozer destroying exploiters," said Modi.

In the function which saw a massive turnout Modi said that the government has started important services like 108 ambulance service and 24 hours medical service for poor in the state. The CM also announced Rs1,000 cr for Sakhi Mandal on Tuesday. 

On the other hand, ahead of Garib Kalyan Mela police detained around 200 Congress party workers on Tuesday.

Congress members were detained as they were allegedly planning protest against Modi's Garib kalyan Mela. Leader of opposition in AMC Surendra Baxi and city Congress president Pankaj Shah were also amongst the Congress members who were detained.