PM Modi visits West Bengal, launches projects worth Rs 7,200 crore in Arambagh
- In Reports
- 11:09 PM, Mar 01, 2024
- Myind Staff
On the first day of his two-day visit to West Bengal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for a panoply of developmental projects worth over Rs 7,200 crore in West Bengal’s Arambagh in Hooghly district on Friday.
“I am confident the people of Bengal will join us in achieving our objective of Vikasit Bharat by 2047,” Modi said at a government event. “When one infrastructure project is launched in one state, a number of opportunities open up for the residents.
The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation multiple developmental projects related to sectors like rail, ports, oil pipelines, LPG supply, and wastewater treatment.
“India of the 21st century is progressing at a fast pace and together we all have set the goal of making a developed India by 2047,” he said at the programme.
Among the projects was Indian Oil's 518km Haldia-Barauni crude oil pipeline developed for Rs 2,790 crore.
The Indian Oil pipeline will pass through Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, to supply crude oil to Barauni Refinery, Bongaigaon Refinery and Guwahati Refinery in a cost-effective and eco-friendly manner.
Modi said the Centre has taken steps for the welfare of the poor and that is why in the last 10 years, about 25 crore people in the country have come out of poverty.
“Our effort is that the modernization of railways in West Bengal should happen at the same pace as it is happening in other parts of the country,” he said.
Addressing a public meeting at Arambagh, PM Modi slammed Mamta Banerjee government over the Sandeshkhali issue. He also questioned the silence of the INDIA bloc over the Sandeshkhali issue and asked the people to give a befitting reply to the TMC through the ballot box.
"The country is seeing what TMC has done with the sisters of Sandeshkhali. The whole country is enraged. The soul of Raja Ram Mohan Roy (social reformer) must have been pained by what happened in Sandeshkhali,” he said.
“Atrocities of TMC leaders on Sandeshkhali women have crossed all limits. When women sought help from Mamata Banerjee, her government made all sorts of attempts to protect the (accused) TMC leaders. BJP leaders here fought day and night and even had to face batons (from police) to fight to protect the dignity of such women. Under their pressure, the state government had no other option than to arrest the TMC leader. They should be ashamed of this. Will you forgive this TMC? Will you not take revenge for the atrocities? You have to give your reply through votes,” PM Modi said.
Questioning the silence of the members of the INDIA bloc alliance, including the Congress, PM Modi said, “INDI alliance leaders have become silent and mute on the Sandeshkhali issue. They are resembling Mahatma Gandhi’s teen bandar (three monkeys). They sit together and hold meetings in Patna, Bengaluru and Mumbai but are not eager to speak on this issue. Have Left and Congress sought answers from the TMC? They did not. They only stand by those who believe in corruption, dynastic politics and appeasement politics.”
With an eye on making electoral inroads in the Mamata Banerjee-ruled state, PM Modi kickstarted his poll campaign from Arambagh, a Lok Sabha seat reserved for candidates from Scheduled Castes (SC) from 2009.
TMC leader Aparupa Poddar defeated BJP’s Tapan Roy by a thin margin of 1142 votes in the last general elections in this constituency.
On Friday evening, Mamata Banerjee met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Raj Bhavan. Speaking with reporters after the meeting, Banerjee said she also took up the issue of the state’s pending dues with the PM. “I mentioned the issues of the state to the prime minister, besides having a chat with him,” said CM Banerjee.
Asked about the issue of the Centre’s dues to the state, which the ruling TMC has been flagging frequently, Banerjee said, “I raised that matter also.”
In December last year, Banerjee had a meeting with PM Modi in New Delhi to press for the release of the state's dues.
According to the TMC, the Centre owed ₹ 1.18 lakh crore to West Bengal.
The Union government has said it released on Thursday two tranches of tax devolution to all states, with West Bengal receiving ₹ 10,692 crore, the fourth highest amount after Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.
The state government commenced payment of dues to approximately 30 lakh MGNREGA workers on Monday, amounting to ₹ 2,700 crore, pending since March 2022.
Image source: X
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