Hon'ble CM's motivating speech on school enrollment occasion at Jambla

Gandhinagar, Thursday: Chief Minister Narendra Modi today launched the 9th annual statewide Kanya Kelavni and Shala Praveshotsav from Sihor taluka in Bhavnagar district for popularizing girls' education and enrolment drive in primary schools respectively.

Leading from the front, he was himself present in the primary schools and balwadis (crèches) at Varal, Tana and Jambala villages ensuring villagers come in horde to enroll their wards in the schools. He distributed books, kits and toys to the tiny tots to increase their interest in schools.

Encouraged by the overwhelming support of the society to the twin campaigns, the Chief Minister expressed his resolve to eradicate illiteracy and malnutrition from the state. He appealed to the people to join the government efforts in freeing the state from the two blots, which continues even after 62 years of Independence. He said the efforts in this direction has already started paying dividends in the form of qualitative improvement in education, midday meal and regular health checkup of students, better infrastructure and nutritious food for nursing mothers, down to the remotest village. He said it is not for nothing that almost the entire administration comes out of the secretariat at Gandhinagar and converges in the villages to make a success of the campaigns like Shala Praveshotsav or Krishi Mahotsav or Garib Kalyan Mela.

Mr. Modi asked the people to care a hoot about the Centre's relentless attempts to derail Gujarat's development. Gujarat will progress on its own strengths. For instance, he said, the Centre abruptly stopped a scheme for physically challenged teachers, pushing 1,210 of them on the verge of termination. To another instance, he said, the Centre has introduced Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan hardly paid any funds to Gujarat.

In all, 22,110 officials, including all the Ministers and IAS officers, will cover 32,772 government-run primary schools and 44,000 balwadis (crèches) in all the 18,000-odd villages in the state in phase-1 from June 16 to 18, 2011. In phase-2 will be covered primary schools in the urban areas under eight municipal corporations and 159 municipalities from June 23 to 25, 2011.

At Varal village, people weighed the Chief Minister in books, 351 in number worth Rs.51,000, and gifted the same to the schools library. Local legislator Keshubhai Nakrani and officials of the district and talukas also participated in today's campaign.