Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said Uttar Pradesh is rising from its earlier “hopelessness” towards a state of hope and aspiration under the Yogi Adityanath government.
Modi was addressing a public meeting shortly after laying foundation stones and launching 28 development projects, altogether worth over Rs 1,780 crore, in his Varanasi parliamentary constituency.
Earlier, he also spoke at the 'One World TB Summit' held here on World Tuberculosis Day. Modi said India's ideology of "Vasudev Kutumbakam" – the whole world is one family -- is giving the modern world an integrated vision and solutions.
Launching a series of initiatives to eliminate tuberculosis in India, he said the country is working to eliminate the disease by 2025 against the global target of 2030.
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At the public meeting, Modi appreciated the efforts made by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who completes the first year in office of his second term on Saturday.
"Uttar Pradesh is rising from hopelessness and moving towards hope and aspirations. Where security and facilities are made available, prosperity is certain," the PM said at the event held on the Sampurnanand Sanskrit University grounds.
He termed himself a "sewak" (servant) rather than a “pradhan mantri” and said, "The governments at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh believe in the service of the poor."
The PM said people faced problems even in opening bank accounts before the BJP came to power at the Centre, but now even the poorest in the country have a Jan Dhan account.
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“Before 2014, one had to struggle for even opening a bank account or taking out a loan. But today, be it a small farmer, a businessman or women self-help groups, getting a loan has become very easy through the Mudra Yojna”, he said.
While Modi did not directly attack the opposition, Chief Minister Adityanath who shared the dais with him targeted the Congress.
He referred to the “Modi surname” defamation case in a Surat court that has led to a suspended two-year jail term for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The CM said the Congress must apologise to the country for insulting the poor, the Dalits and the backward.
On Varanasi, the prime minister said its development is being discussed all over the country and the world.
"Whoever comes to Kashi takes new energy from here. Nine years ago, people had apprehensions that there would be no change in Banaras, nothing would happen in Kashi. But the people of Kashi proved every apprehension wrong with their hard work," he said.
He said the new and the old are seen together in Varanasi.
In the past one year, over seven crore tourists visited Varanasi and brought employment opportunities for local residents, Modi said.
He also announced that a big campaign to promote natural farming would start along the banks of the Ganga.
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"Natural farming will be encouraged on five kilometres on both sides. Arrangements have been made in the Budget for this," he said.
The PM had earlier laid the foundation stone, virtually, for a passenger ropeway from Varanasi Cantonment station to Godaulia, a Rs 645 crore project.The 3.75-kilometre ropeway system will have five stations.
Modi also laid the foundation stone for a 55 MLD (million litres per day) sewage treatment plant at Bhagwanpur under the Namami Gange scheme. The project will cost Rs 300 crore.
He inaugurated 19 drinking water schemes that will benefit over three lakh people in 63 panchayats under the Jal Jeevan Mission, and laid the foundation stones for 59 more such schemes.
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-With PTI Input
