LUCKNOW: Continuing his tirade against the Opposition on the concluding day of his two-day visit to eastern UP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Congress and other parties of playing politics in the name of farmers and doing nothing for their welfare.
Dedicating Rs 3400-crore Bansagar Irrigation project in Mirzapur on Sunday, the PM slammed the opposition saying those parties used to shed crocodile tears for farmers but have done nothing to support them.
The PM charged the opposition with delaying the irrigation project for 40 years claiming that it was proposed in 1978 at the cost of Rs 350 crore. "But respective governments just kept sitting over it. Today after the completion of the project its cost has been jacked 100 times to 3400 crore. While the country incurred huge losses, generations of farmers kept waiting for it," he stated.
"When we made government in 2014, we reviewed pending projects. Bansagar irrigation project was one of them. We linked it with Prime Minister Irrigation Scheme and restarted the work on priority. Today, the project is ready to be dedicated to farmers," he said and exhorted the famers to ask those parties who had been ruling the state for so long why such projects were neglected and left incomplete across the country.
"Farmers would have been benefitted with irrigation facility 20 years back if the project was completed in time," said Modi. The irrigation project started on Sunday would benefit over 2 lakh farmers of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar covering about 1.5 lakh hectares land.
"It will give a boost to irrigation facility in the region. Work on two more irrigation projects Saryu Canal and Madhya Sagar has been started," he said. The PM said that those who tend to play the messiah of farmers should be asked why they did not raise the MSP of paddy even after taking a decision long ago in files.
"We fulfilled our commitment and raised the MSP to double the income of farmers. It was a step in the direction of doubling farmers' income by 2022," added Modi. Counting his government's achievements, the PM said that as per an international report, over 5 crore poor people came over poverty line in the last two years in India.
"We could do it only because of various welfare schemes we launched for the welfare of the poor, Dalits and backwards to increase their income and improve their lifestyle," Modi pointed out. "My government aims at bringing about a 'New India' wherein Garib ko dawai, kisan ko sichai, bachcho ko padai, yuvao ko kamai (Medicines to the poor, irrigation facility to farmers, education to children and jobs to youth) will be a priority to serve the people of the country," Modi said.
On the occasion, the PM inaugurated a bridge across Ganga in Chunar, 108 drug centres and laid the foundation stone for Mirzapur District Hospital and a Rs 229 crore Mirzapur-Allahabad National Highway Road widening project. He lauded the efforts of Yogi Adityanath government saying under his leadership the pace of development has picked up especially in eastern Uttar Pradesh, which was neglected by previous regimes for decades.
"Purvanchal Expressway, Perishable Cargo Centre, Bansagar Irrigation Project and launching of several other projects in the region will boost the industrial development in Eastern Uttar Pradesh and provide job opportunities to people in the region," said the PM.
However, in the political circles, PM's visit to Mirzapur is being seen as cementing the ties with the NDA partner Apna Dal-S and consolidate its backward vote-bank. Union Minister Anupriya Patel, who is also MP from Mirzapur, was also present on the occasion.
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