Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel lays foundation stone of Dream City in Surat

SURAT: Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel laid the foundation stone of the Diamond Research and Mercantile (DREAM) city as well as the Diamond Bourse at Khajod village near here today.

Spread across 2,000 acres, the project is aimed at providing a global platform for buying and selling diamonds at a single location, according to an official release.

In her speech during the foundation stone laying ceremony, Patel said that the estimated cost of this project is around Rs 1.25 lakh crore and it would create employment opportunities for 1.5 lakh people, the release said.

The proposed Diamond Bourse would have more than 10,000 offices of diamond merchants. After it commences functioning, diamond traders from India as well as other countries would be able to sell and buy rough as well as polished diamonds directly at a single place, the release said.

In her speech, Patel also announced plans to set up suburban projects near major cities in Gujarat to ease the burden on them and simultaneously develop villages adjoining cities, it said.

Patel announced that unused land under urban land ceiling regulations would be used to implement the 'Slum Free Gujarat' project, to enable municipal corporations build affordable housing, the release said.

The Chief Minister also announced that her government plans to set up a textiles university here to provide skilled manpower to this sector.

On the occasion, members of the Surat Diamond Bourse also presented her with a cheque of Rs 1.11 crore to implement the state level Swacch Bharat mission, the release said.