There has been a three-fold increase in direct job creation in the last 20 years since Vibrant Gujarat summits were held in the state, Health Minister Rushikesh Patel said Tuesday. “The employment that was being provided by you all (industries of Gujarat) has increased three-fold compared to 2003. There were 7 lakh direct jobs in 2003, today in 2023 a total of 21 lakh people have been employed in Gujarat. There could be an equal number of indirect jobs,” Patel said while addressing an event held in Ahmedabad ahead of the summit. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel was also present at the event. “If I can state an example in this regard, during the Covid pandemic, trains carrying immigrants were sent to other states including Odisha, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and other states. Special arrangements had to be made by Gujarat. But no other state sent a train or vehicle to Gujarat. This shows that only Gujarat generates jobs for people of other states in cities like Surat, Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Jamnagar,” the minister added. Between May 2 and May 31, 2020, Gujarat operated 1,017 Shramik trains that transported more than 15 lakh migrant workers to other parts of the country. Speaking at the event in Ahmedabad, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said the government has been holding pre-Vibrant Gujarat summits in each of the districts to promote the district and its products on a global scale. “Under Vibrant Gujarat, Vibrant District held in 25 districts so far, an investment of Rs 25,000 crore has been promised through 2,590 MoUs (Memorandum of Understanding). This investment will generate 65,000 new jobs,” he added.
