Gandhinagar, March 17 (IANS) A delegation of officers from the National Defence College (NDC) in New Delhi on Tuesday engaged with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel in Gandhinagar to study the state’s economic development model as part of a national-level programme on economic security.
The visit formed part of an ongoing study course under national security and strategic studies, in which 122 officers are participating.
The batch comprises 61 officers from the Indian Armed Forces, 20 from civil services, and 41 foreign military officers from partner countries.
A 17-member team, led by Rear Admiral Sandeep Singh Sandhu, is currently on a study tour of Gujarat, with visits scheduled to GIFT City, the Statue of Unity, the Indo-Israel Centre of Excellence in Agriculture and Jamnagar.
The team includes officers from the three wings of the armed forces, members of the Indian Revenue Service, Communication Services, and foreign military officers.
During the interaction, the officers expressed interest in understanding Gujarat’s approach to economic growth, particularly in areas such as women’s empowerment, balanced regional development and infrastructure expansion.
Officials said the discussion focused on the state’s policy-driven development and its integration with broader national economic priorities.
Addressing the delegation, Patel said Gujarat had emerged as a “policy-driven state” and a “role model of development” under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Through the Vibrant Summit, Gujarat has become a preferred destination for global industrial investors,” he said, adding that efforts had also been made to promote green growth and balanced regional economic development through regional conferences.
He said tourism initiatives such as the Statue of Unity had boosted local economies, while infrastructure measures, including round-the-clock electricity supply, road connectivity, and an extensive canal network carrying Narmada waters to Kutch, had supported overall development.
Patel further said development schemes had been designed with a focus on the common citizen.
“By adopting a saturation approach, the goal is to ensure that the benefits reach every eligible beneficiary,” he said, referring to efforts aimed at achieving full coverage of welfare schemes.
Senior officials, including Additional Chief Secretary to the CM, Sanjeev Kumar, and Additional Chief Secretary Dr Vikrant Pandey, were present at the meeting.
--IANS
mys/dan