World Bank delegation meets Gujarat CM Patel in Gandhinagar, visits education centre

A high-level delegation of the World Bank met Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel here on Tuesday and appreciated the state's holistic development through environmental-friendly green growth route.

World Bank executive director Parameswaran Iyer said the members of the delegation were impressed by the benchmark of development that Gujarat has set as the growth engine of the country, according to a government release.

They appreciated Gujarat's holistic development through clean green energy production, it said.

'Green growth' refers to an economic expansion plan that places a significant focus on sustainable development while minimizing harmful environmental effects.

Patel, during an interaction with the delegation, said Gujarat accounts for 30 per cent of the country's cargo handling along its strategic coastline.

Not only this, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, petrochemicals and diamonds are also exported from the state's ports, the release quoted him as saying.

The delegation came to Gujarat after completing its tour of Maharashtra, and will next visit Uttar Pradesh.

The World Bank team members also visited the Sabarmati riverfront, Amul dairy in Anand town as well as GIFT City and the Vidya Samiksha Kendra (Education Review Centre), a command and control centre for schools, in Gandhinagar.

Chief Minister Patel gave them a presentation on Gujarat's financial management status and said it has achieved a high growth rate of more than 12 per cent in the last decade.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic severely affecting growth, Gujarat remained a leader with excellent performance in various fields, said the CM, according to the release.

He talked about Gujarat's emphasis on green growth for environment preservation and creation of new employment opportunities by encouraging private investments in agriculture, industrial and service sectors.

At the Vidya Samiksha Kendra, a nerve centre for technology-enabled learning in Gujarat, the delegation was shown the transformation journey of Gujarat's education sector.

The visiting members interacted with teachers, students and parents and got information about the benefits they are getting through the Education Review Centre, said the release.

World Bank president Ajay Banga and United States of America Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen had recently visited the centre in the state capital.