Earlier govt. did not give Indians facilities available elsewhere even in previous century — Modi

Una/Chamba (HP), Oct. 13 (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday accused the past governments of not providing facilities that were available to people elsewhere in the world even in the previous century and in his home state Gujarat a few years back.

Ahead of the assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh by the year-end, he launched a slew of development projects in Una and Chamba. In Una, Modi flagged off a Vande Bharat Express, the fourth train in the series.

Addressing public meetings, he hoped that the state will break the trend this time of electing different parties every election.

Modi also stressed on the benefits of the “double-engine” government, a reference to the BJP being in power both in Himachal Pradesh and at the Centre.

“We will provide you facilities of the 20th as well as the 21st centuries,” he said, addressing a rally at the Indira Gandhi stadium in Una.

“Our government is fulfilling the aspirations of 21st-century India. New India is overcoming challenges of the past and growing rapidly,” Modi added.

“Earlier governments at the Centre and in the state failed to understand your needs. My government is not only fulfilling the needs of the people, but is doing it with full strength,” he said.

Modi also hit out at the opposition, saying ‘Dev Bhoomi’ Himachal has the grace of nature but previous governments did not work to fill the development gap. “After coming to power, we not only filled that gap but also wrote a new chapter of development,” he said.

In an apparent reference to the “double-engine”government, Modi said earlier, Himachal BJP chief ministers PK Dhumal and Shanta Kumar had to go to Delhi with BJP workers to seek approval for even small projects.

Now, he added, the chief minister goes to Delhi to inform about the completion of projects.

Modi recalled a saying that the youth and the water in the hills is of little use locally, a reference to migration and the flow of water downhill. The prime minister said his government has changed the proverb.

He launched the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana-III in Chamba to upgrade 3,125 km of rural roads, saying the government wants to build roads in every village of the state.

So far, the double-engine government of the BJP has built 12,000 km of rural roads in eight years in Himachal Pradesh, Modi said, adding that several new villages will be connected with under the scheme.

More than INR 420 crore has been sanctioned by the central government under this phase of the PMGSY-III for upgrading 440 km of rural roads in 15 border and far-flung blocks of the state.

Modi further said the BJP’s double-engine government has made domestic gas connections available for every home. Hundred per cent piped water coverage has been made in tribal areas of Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur under the ‘Har Ghar Jal Yojna’, he said.

Refering to recent grant of the Scheduled Tribe status to the Hatti community, the prime minister said it showed the government cared for the tribal people.

“I feel contented while serving you as you have given me this opportunity by voting the BJP to power,” Modi told a rally at the Chogan maidan in Chamba.

In Una, he said pharma, education and railway projects launched in the region will have positive impact on its progress. “I am pleased to announce gifts worth several thousand crores for Himachal before Dhanteras and Diwali,” he said.

Flagging off the new Vande Bharat Express from Una, Modi said he was always concerned about connectivity in Himachal Pradesh.

Union Minister Anurag Thakur, who was also present at the rally in Una, said Prime Minister Modi made it possible for people of Himachal Pradesh to have a Vande Bharat train whereas the previous Congress governments used to snatch facilities from them.

The Vande Bharat Express flagged off by Modi from Amb Andaura will run six days a week, barring Wednesdays. It will have stops in Ambala, Chandigarh, and Anandpur Sahib on its route to Delhi.

This Vande Bharat train is an advanced version compared to the earlier ones, being much lighter and capable of reaching higher speed in shorter duration. It accelerates to 100 km per hour in just 52 seconds.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who boarded the train flagged off by the prime minister, said it would greatly benefit the people of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab.

Modi also laid the foundation stone of the Bulk Drug Park at Haroli which will be built at a cost of more than INR 1,900 crore, and inaugurated the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT)-Una.

The Bulk Drug Pharma Park will write a new script for the development of the state and end the dependence on other countries for availability of raw materials for production of medicines, he said.

The “double-engine” government will invest INR 2,000 crore in the Bulk Drug Park project in Una, Modi said. It will attract investments of INR 10,000 crores to the state and new avenues of employment will open up, he added.

Medicines will become cheaper when both manufacture of raw materials and production of the drug is done in the state, the prime minister said.

Modi laid foundation stones of two hydropower projects in Chamba a 48 MW Chanju-III hydro-electric project and a 30 MW Deothal Chanju hydro-electric project.

The two hydropower projects will generate over 270 million units of electricity annually and Himachal Pradesh is expected to earn an annual revenue of around INR 110 crore from these.