Gandhinagar – Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurated the two-day conference of the 'Institute of Town Planners, India (ITPI) - Gujarat Chapter' in Ahmedabad on Saturday. Patel emphasized the critical need to address global warming by creating urban forests and increasing green cover in cities. He stressed the importance of a circular economy focused on reducing, reusing, and recycling to enhance urban livability and sustainability.

Discussing Mission Life, Patel praised the campaign initiated under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s guidance, which encourages environmental protection and sustainable lifestyles. He confidently projected that with Modi's re-election, India would achieve self-reliance within five years, underpinned by sustainability.

Chief Minister Patel assured the state government's full support for decisions emerging from such conferences to expedite urban development. He called on citizens to contribute to environmental conservation and the vision of a developed India.

Principal Secretary of Urban Development, Ashwini Kumar, highlighted the enduring cultural and mythological heritage in Gujarat's cities. He cited Vadnagar's rich cultural history and Ahmedabad's pride as India's First Heritage City. Kumar praised the state’s balanced approach to development and environmental protection, attributing progress to strong leadership under Patel.

Keshav Karma, Chairman of the High Level Committee on Urban Planning, detailed HLC's contributions and presented reports on industrial development alongside environmental protection. The conference also saw participation from City Mayor Pratibha Jain, ITPI President N.K. Patel, MLA Amitbhai Shah, and other notable figures in town planning and urban development.