PUDUCHERRY: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused the Congress and the DMK of obstructing Puducherry’s development and urged voters to choose between a return to “political instability” and the continuation of the “double-engine” NDA government, which he said had ensured faster growth.
Addressing a public meeting after laying the foundation stone for 74 projects worth Rs 1,571 crore and inaugurating 19 completed works valued at Rs 1,142 crore, Modi alleged that the previous Congress–DMK regime was marked by instability, corruption and hardship for the poor.
“Ration shops had no rice. Salaries were delayed. Goons and drug mafias ruled the streets. Should Puducherry go back to that era?” he asked, adding that the Congress had treated the Union Territory as an “ATM for one family sitting in Delhi” and claiming that the DMK had a “long list of scams” in TN.
Highlighting what he described as the NDA government’s achievements over the past four-and-a-half years, the PM said the vision of “BEST Puducherry” was taking shape through improved governance and infrastructure expansion. He cited a rise in per capita income and said Puducherry had secured the highest Social Progress Index score in the country. Projects worth over Rs 2,700 crore would further accelerate growth, he said.
Modi said Puducherry’s inclusion in the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment Scheme, earlier open only to states, would unlock additional funds for roads, water supply, coastal infrastructure, schools and hospitals.
On healthcare, he said Puducherry could emerge as a medical tourism hub, noting that the Union Territory has nine medical colleges. He referred to the modernisation of the Regional Cancer Centre at the Jipmer and the establishment of three Critical Care Blocks under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission in Puducherry and Karaikal.
He also highlighted the improvements to the East Coast Road and the Grand Southern Trunk Road, which he said would reduce travel time between Puducherry and Chennai to about two hours.