Gujarat: CM Bhupendra Patel approves Rs 20 cr for Visavadar bypass

Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel approved Rs 20 crore for a bypass road around Visavadar city. The funds are for pre-construction activities. Meanwhile, the state is fast-tracking POCSO cases, with a recent verdict delivered in 72 hours.

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has approved Rs 20 crore for pre-construction activities for the development of a bypass road around Visavadar city in Junagadh district, connecting the Bagasara-Jetpur State Highway to the Visavadar-Satadhar-Sasan Gir State Highway.

According to an official statement, the Chief Minister promptly responded to the request from local office-bearers and citizens of Visavadar for the construction of the bypass road and approved the amount.

Under the development of the bypass around Visavadar city, the amount will be utilised in the first phase for pre-construction activities, including land acquisition, utility shifting, DPR, etc.

Several renowned pilgrimage and tourist destinations are located near Visavadar city, including the Satadhar pilgrimage site, Sasan Gir Forest, the ancient Kanakeshwari Temple, as well as Dham Rampara in Rupal, Nagbai Temple in Rampara, and Sant Shri Rohidas Temple in Sarsai. Lakhs of devotees visit these pilgrimage sites.

Additionally, the main road connecting Amreli to Somnath passes through Visavadar. Also, the Bagasara-Jetpur, Dhari-Savarkundla and Visavadar-Satadhar, as well as Junagadh-Mendarda-Keshod State Highways, pass through Visavadar.

Considering the representations regarding the need for a bypass road around Visavadar to ease the heavy traffic in the city, the Chief Minister has approved Rs. 20 crore for first-phase pre-construction activities for the bypass road and sanctioned the amount to the Roads and Buildings Department.

'Zero-Tolerance' Policy on Sexual Offences

Meanwhile, the Gujarat Government has adopted a “zero-tolerance” policy to ensure the safety of girls and facilitate strict and speedy judicial action against sexual offences.

As a result, the justice process in cases registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act is progressing at an unprecedented pace across the state.

In a striking demonstration of swift justice, a Special POCSO Court in Kalol sentenced a 42-year-old man to imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life, just 72 hours after the police filed the charge sheet in a case involving the alleged abduction and sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl.

Hundreds of POCSO cases in Gujarat have seen speedy trials and verdicts, signalling a strengthening justice-delivery system and an intensified statewide crackdown on crimes against children, the release said.

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