Once backward, Purvanchal now shining star: PM Modi

New Delhi, March 10

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said eastern Uttar Pradesh had transitioned from witnessing a politics of appeasement, mafia raj and extremism to a politics of development and the region once called backward was now a “shining star”.

launches Mahtari Vandan Yojana

PM Narendra Modi on Sunday launched Mahtari Vandan Yojana in Chhattisgarh, disbursing the first installment under the scheme, which the BJP had promised in its state election manifesto. The scheme will provide financial assistance of Rs 1,000 per month to eligible married women of the state as monthly DBT. The scheme will provide benefits to all eligible married women of the state who are above 21 years of age as of January 1, 2024. Widows, divorced, and deserted women will also be eligible.

Speaking after inaugurating, dedicating and laying the foundation stone for multiple development initiatives worth more than Rs 34,000 crore at an event in Purvanchal’s Azamgarh, the Prime Minister attacked the anti-BJP INDIA bloc, saying it was sleepless because of Azamgarh’s progress.

“The development of Azamgarh is disturbing INDI alliance’s sleep. The bloc has always relied on casteism, nepotism and vote bank. Purvanchal has witnessed politics of casteism and appeasement for decades. And it has also seen the politics of development in the last 10 years…. People here have seen the dangers of mafia raj and extremism, and now they are witnessing the rule of law,” PM Modi said, hailing Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityaraj, who was on stage.

Noting “Modi was a man of his word”, the PM said his announcements were not mere election gimmicks as was the case in erstwhile dispensations. “In the past, foundation stones would be laid before elections. The stones would soon disappear and so would leaders. Everything was about token announcements. When I announced something in 2019, headlines would attribute the same to election expediency. But today, the country is witnessing that Modi is a man of his word. The projects we announced in 2019 are being inaugurated also by us,” the PM said, adding he was running at a swift pace to realise the goal of ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047. The PM today inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 15 airport projects across the country worth more than Rs 9,800 crore from Azamgarh.

He inaugurated 12 new Terminal Buildings of the Pune, Kolhapur, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Delhi, Lucknow, Aligarh, Azamgarh, Chitrakoot, Moradabad, Shravasti and Adampur airports. The PM also laid the foundation stone for three new Terminal Buildings of the Kadapa, Hubballi and Belagavi airports. Detailing the development of UP under the BJP-led regime, PM Modi said cities like Aligarh, Moradabad, Chitrakoot, and Shravasti in UP, which were once considered small and backward, have now received new airport terminals.

“No one would take care of these cities. Now, even air services are starting from here because rapid development is taking place,” the PM said.