Prime Minister Narendra on Friday said that previous governments came up with their welfare schemes sitting in air-conditioned rooms without seeing their impact on the ground.
Addressing an impressive public meeting at Wajidpur on Harhua-Sarnath Ring Road on Friday evening, the prime minister called the beneficiaries of welfare projects today examples of “real secularism” and social justice.
The prime minister said that today by hearing the names of ‘labharthi’ (beneficiaries), the parties, who only worked for the welfare of their families and close associates and indulged in corruption during their regimes, were shivering with uneasiness because the present government had established a system which provided the benefits of various schemes in which there was no role of any middlemen.
The prime minister said that today the government was not only giving direct benefits to the people but was also taking their feedback directly as he did by asking the experiences of many beneficiaries of Awas Yojana, SVANidhi Yojana and Ayushman Bharat Yojana.
He said today projects worth over Rs 12,100 crore were launched and these projects would change the life of the holy city of Kashi further apart from strengthening the infrastructure and railways network.
“In the past, the intentions of the governments were not clear and this is the reason why today the development works are progressing at an accelerated pace,” he said.
He said that Rajdhani Express was introduced about 50 years ago but the trains were run on only 16 routes. Similarly, he said, the Shatabdi Express was started about 30-35 years ago but these trains were launched only on 19 routes but within the last four years, Vande Bharat Express trains were being run on 25 routes.
The prime minister said that since the construction of the grand Shri Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, the number of visitors had increased sharply and in just one year, more than seven crore devotees and tourists had visited Kashi, giving ample income opportunities to rickshaw-pullers, petty traders, boatmen and others.
He praised the local people for giving warm welcome to the guests of G-20 meetings and helping the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate win the Varanasi mayoral seat with a thumping margin.
Modi inaugurated or laid the foundation stone for 29 development projects worth Rs 12,100 crore.
He launched the Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction-Son Nagar railway line of the Dedicated Freight Corridor. Built at a cost of more than Rs 6,760 crore, the new line will facilitate faster and more efficient movement of goods.
Modi also dedicated to the nation three railway lines whose electrification or doubling has been completed at a cost of more than Rs 990 crore — the Ghazipur city-Aunrihar rail line, the Aunrihar-Jaunpur rail line and the Bhatni-Aunrihar rail line.
The four-laning of the Varanasi-Jaunpur section of NH-56, completed at a cost of more than Rs 2,750 crore, was unveiled as well.
Other projects inaugurated by the prime minister in Varanasi include the construction and renovation of 18 PWD roads, the International Girls’ Hostel building on the BHU campus, the Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering and Technology (CIPET)-Vocational Training Centre at Karsara village and residential buildings and amenities in the Sindhaura police station, PAC Bhullanpur and the Pindra fire station.
He also inaugurated a government residential school in Tarsada and the Economic Offences Research Organisation building. Modi laid the foundation stone of several projects.
During the event, he distributed loans under PM SVANidhi, gave keys to PMAY Rural houses and Ayushman Bharat cards to beneficiaries.
Modi further announced the ‘Grih Pravesh’ of five lakh PMAY beneficiaries, the distribution of 1.25 lakh PM SVANidhi loans and the distribution of 2.88 crore Ayushman cards.
Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were present during the programme.
