PM engaged cooperatives, corporates, NGOs to boost development: Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said the pace of the country's development increased in the last nine years as Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaged cooperatives, corporates, NGOs and individuals to participate in the process.

Shah was virtually addressing a gathering during the laying of foundation stone for a Sainik School to come up in Mehsana in north Gujarat under the public-private partnership (PPP) mode.

The Sainik School, coming up at Boriyavi village in Mehsana district, is part of the Centre's initiative to set up 100 such schools under the PPP mode.

Shah said PM Modi gave a call to set up 100 Sainik Schools in partnership model, and the Motibhai Chaudhary Sagar Sainik School being set up in Mehsana under the PPP model will be the 20th such school to provide students a simple and easy path to enter the armed forces.

The pace of development during the past governments was slow, he said.

"In nine years of his rule, Prime Minister Narendra Modi not just worked for the security and development of the country and make it earn pride in the world, but also to engage a large number of cooperatives, corporates, NGOs and individuals to join the process of development which helped the country develop at a fast pace," Shah said.

As part of the same process, Modi made an appeal to set up 100 new Sainik Schools under the PPP model, he said.

Shah said the Sainik School will prepare students to serve Mother India through their hard work. The new school will help students learn about security, patriotism and bravery, he added.

The Union minister congratulated Dudhsagar Dairy milk cooperative, its chairman Ashok Chaudhary and the entire board for coming forward the set up the new school.

Shah also said PM Modi took several initiatives to remove water scarcity in north Gujarat which faced an acute crisis due to depletion in the groundwater level.

The region had turned into a dark zone and people feared it would turn into a desert like Kutch, he said.

As the then chief minister of Gujarat, Modi took several initiatives to bring the Narmada and Mahisagar river water to north Gujarat which helped increase the groundwater level, he said.

Apart from farming, it also helped in milk production in the region, he added.

Shah also praised former MLA Motibhai Chaudhary -- after whom the upcoming school is named -- for his contribution to strengthen cooperative milk production in north Gujarat districts.

He said that Dudhsagar Dairy passed on benefits worth Rs 375-crore to cattle farmers by raising the procurement price of buffalo milk, taking initiatives for the production of honey and organic farming, and taking care of the health of cattle.