PM Modi in Uttarakhand today, to lay stone for Rs 17,500-crore projects

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 29

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Thursday lay the foundation stone of multiple projects in Uttarakhand. His visit assumes significance as all eyes will be on whether he will officially announce Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami as the BJP’s CM candidate for the upcoming Assembly elections in the state.

Notably, not just the BJP, the Congress too appears to be playing safe on this rather piquant and sensitive issue of naming a candidate for the top post. Though the PM has publicly appreciated him, the Central leadership has not officially named Dhami as the face for 2022 elections so far.

State leaders have said Dhami, who has the formidable challenge to break the BJP-Congress cycle and also keep the party together in what is expected to be a close fight, will be the CM when the BJP returns to power in 2022.

Interestingly, the Aam Aadmi Party has announced Col Ajay Kothiyal (retd) as its chief ministerial face in the hill state.

“The AAP has nothing to lose,” they say, adding that despite calm in the BJP on the surface, several leaders like Harak Singh Rawat are getting “restive”. Harak Singh, they claim, is on the “verge of jumping the ship”, despite his meeting with Dhami on Saturday in the presence of other state leaders.

In fact, Congress sources claim that Harak Singh is “in regular touch with their party”. While Harak Singh appears to be bargaining for a better deal with the BJP, a deeply divided Congress is also walking a tightrope.

Meanwhile, the PM will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of 23 projects worth over Rs 17,500 crore, which include an array of sectors/areas like irrigation, road, housing, health infrastructure, industry, sanitation and drinking water supply, according to officials.

Rs 361 cr released for Jal Jeevan mission

New Delhi: Eyeing Assembly elections in BJP-ruled Uttarakhand, the Centre has released Rs361-crore grant to the state for speedy implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) for 2021-22. The amount was released in a review meeting taken by the ministry. TNS

10th instalment of PM-KISAN on Jan 1

• PM Narendra Modi will release the 10th instalment of financial benefit under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme on Jan 1
• This will enable the transfer of an amount of more than Rs20,000 cr to more than 10 crore beneficiary farmer families
• The PM will interact with farmer producer organisations during the event and also address the nation. tns

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