Gujarat CM Anandi Patel inaugurates 'Rann-utsav' at Kutch

GANDHINAGAR: Gujarat Chief Minister Anandi Patel today inaugurated cultural extravaganza 'Rann Utsav' (desert festival) at Dhordo village in Kutch district.

"Kicked off three-month-long Rannotsav 2014 at Dhordo. I invite everyone to come and breathe in a bit of Gujarat at vibrant cultural landscape of Kutch," Patel said in a tweet.

The 'Rann- utsav' had been launched by the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi in 2011.

"Patel has dedicated a 'Dena Bank' branch and a health centre to Dhordo village and inaugurated a mission to build toilets in 17 villages at the border region of Kutch by giving an amount of Rs three crore to the district collector," a state government press release said today.

On a symbolic note, Patel dedicated 500 lavatories and the same number of bathrooms to the nearby villages from Dhordo and stressed that Kutch region should have 100 per cent toilets in households, it said.

"The state government has been making attempts to make a tourism circuit by including the tourist places like Bhuj, Dhordo and Dholavira," the release quoted State Energy Minister Saurabh Patel as saying.

As per the release, the state government will give aid of Rs one lakh to women working in handicrafts industries in Kutch for setting up business.