With a view to make every citizen of the State participate in the Golden Jubilee Year celebration and contribute in the aim of building Swarnim Gujarat, the second phase of Swarnim Sankalp Jyot Rath-Yatra is arranged from 12th February-2010, a birth anniversary of revered Ravishankar Maharaj. Starting from Gandhinagar, the Yatra will cover 19165 villages in 223 talukas of 26 districts. Governor Smt. Kamalaji will flag off the Yatra. Chief Minister and opposition leader Shri Shaktisinh Gohil will also remain present on the occasion, said Cabinet Ministers Shri Fakirbhai Vaghela and Jaynarayanbhai Vyas.
Youth & Cultural Activities Minister Shri Fakirbhai Vaghela and Health & Tourism Minister Shri Jaynarayanbhai Vyas today briefed press in Ahmedabad. They said that in the leadership of Chief Minister Shri Narendrabhai Modi the first phase of the Yatra took place at Amareli from 1st May 2008 and covered 229 cities where around 54 lakh people took pledge for building Swarnim Gujarat and over 11 lakh tree saplings were planted. This second phase of the Yatra will indeed be a people's festival.
Ministers said that during the Yatra, people's involvement and participation will be encouraged. Every village will organize various programmes for a week before the Yatra actually comes to the village and the day when the Yatra enters the village, will be celebrated as 'Swarnim Sankalp Avasar Din'. During the week of celebration, various programmes like Prabhat-Feri, Shobha-Yatra, painting and essay competition, fancy-dress competition on the theme of Swarnim Gujarat, cooking competition, healthy child competition, volleyball, kabaddi, kho-kho, village-marathon etc. will be organised and winners will be awarded prices. Elders over 75 years of age, people with special contributions, and bright students will also be honored during the Yatra.
Ministers said that various committees are constituted for the tasks of planning, integration and monitoring of the Yatra. Guidance at village level is continually being given through E-Gram connectivity.
Villagers will take pledge as per their professions and youths will declare to give 100 hours of their lives for the betterment of the Gujarat State.
Ministers said that an excellent planning has been done hence the Yatra will receive great response both in cities and villages. The Yatra will conclude on 14th April 2010, a birth anniversary of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar.
A specially decorated Swarnim Sankalp Jyot Rath was today displayed before journalists in Ahmedabad.
