ANAND (Guj): Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Sunday the country's first housing society was set up in 1927 under the leadership of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Gujarat.

Addressing a gathering after inaugurating various projects here, Modi said that when Sardar Patel won the municipal election in Ahmedabad by a solitary vote and became its chairman, he for the first time introduced the concept of urban development.

"And, the first experiment was that of creating a housing society to give people from the middle income group houses," Modi said.

The prime minister said one Pritam Rai Desai was asked to initiate work on this project, and under Sardar Patel's leadership and guidance, the first housing society was formed in the country in Gujarat's Ahmedabad.

"Sardar saheb inaugurated it on January 28, 1927 and said it was a new model of development. Since he wanted people to remember this, the place was named Pritam Nagar (after Pritam Rai Desai)," Modi told the gathering.

....