Gandhinagar, Aug. 15 -- Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Saturday announced a series of major welfare and development measures for citizens of the state on the occasion of the 80th Independence Day, with a focus on rural housing, road connectivity, child nutrition and educational opportunities for youth.

Among the key announcements, the state government said it will purchase private land where adequate government or panchayat land is unavailable and provide residential plots free of cost to eligible rural families for construction of houses.

The initiative is aimed at strengthening the commitment towards "Housing for All" and ensuring that needy families in rural areas are not deprived of residential plots because of a shortage...