Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted development projects worth more than ₹18,000 crore to poll-bound Uttarakhand on Saturday and said his Government believes in the development of all and not in serving a particular community, caste or religion and using them as a “vote bank”. The Prime Minister alleged that the 10 years of rule by the Congress-led UPA were a “waste” for Uttarakhand and the country, and said his Government is making up for the lost time by doubling the speed of infrastructure and connectivity projects.
“We bring development projects for the benefit of all, irrespective of their caste or religion. We don’t believe in using a particular community, caste or religion as a vote bank. We work for the empowerment of all,” Mr. Modi said kickstarting the BJP’s campaign for the 2022 Assembly polls with a a rally at the Parade Ground here.
He addressed the public meeting after the inauguration and foundation laying of 18 projects worth ₹18,301 crore including the ₹8,600-crore Delhi-Dehradun economic corridor, Asia’s biggest elevated wildlife corridor and a new bridge as an alternative to Rishikesh’s iconic Lakshman Jhoola.
Terming vote bank politics as one of the perversities that have entered the country’s polity, Mr. Modi said unlike other parties that believe in keeping people weak so that their dependence on them never ends and their “crown” remains intact, the BJP believes in empowering them and making them independent. He alleged that efforts launched in the field of connectivity and infrastructure development by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the beginning of the century came to a halt during the 10 years of UPA.
“The Government that succeeded saw only scams in the name of infrastructure projects. Those 10 years went waste for Uttarakhand as well as the rest of the country. We are making up for the lost time by doubling the speed of infrastructure and connectivity projects.
“A connectivity Mahayagya is under way to make up for the lost time. Today’s inauguration and foundation laying programme here is part of that.”
Mr. Modi, who began his speech in Garhwali, said these projects will help make this a decade of Uttarakhand. “I had said from the sacred land of Kedarpuri that this decade belongs to Uttarakhand and I repeat it again. These projects will help Uttarakhand achieve that goal.”
Terming the projects as unprecedented work in infrastructure development in Uttarakhand, he said the development of the hill State is the “double-engine” Government’s topmost priority.
“Those who question what the double-engine Government has done should come and see for themselves how the double-engine Government works... the projects cover all sectors, be it health, infrastructure, religious tourism, medicinal herbs,” he said.
Drawing a comparison, he said the UPA built only 288 km of national highways in Uttarakhand in seven years from 2007 to 2014 while the BJP Government at the Centre had built 2,000 km of national highways in the State in the 7.5 years.
