‘A vote for NDA is a vote for investment’

A vote for National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is a vote for better investment in this (Madurai) region, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an election rally in Madurai.

“We are creating the right atmosphere for more industries to come here, especially agro industries. Food processing is another area of focus,” he added.

Modi’s visit to Madurai was his second to Tamil Nadu this week as elections to the State Assembly are scheduled to be held on April 6.

The Centre is ensuring more credit and modern machinery for the textile sector. A mega investment in a textile park scheme ‘MITRA’ has been announced in this year’s Budget. Seven textile parks will come up in three years.

“We want youngsters to be job creators. We are supporting new start-ups as well. Regulatory framework is being liberalised and arbitrary harassments on tax issues have been reduced.” Many big projects have been completed in the last seven years. In the coming years, the government wants even better metro, rail and air connectivity. It is also ramping up the digital infrastructure across India. Work is under way to provide high speed broadband to every village of India, he said.

Focus areas

Guided by the mantras of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas, the NDA government is working to bring a positive change in the lives of 130 crore Indians. “For TN and especially Southern TN, we want to focus on infrastructure, irrigation and investment,” he said.

Last year, the Centre announced that around ₹100-lakh crore would be spent to create next-gen infrastructure to cater to the needs of not just the present, but the future generations as well. In this year’s Budget, a series of economic corridors have been announced; one of them being the Madurai-Kollam corridor. Funds allocated for railway infrastructure projects in TN have increased by a record 238 per cent compared to 2009, he said.

Boost to medical infra

“The Congress-DMK has mastered the art of not working and spreading lies about those who actually work. A classic example is of AIIMS Madurai. It was our government that brought AIIMS here, which will also have a state-of-the-art infectious diseases block. I assure that this project will be completed as per proper processes. Our government has done a lot to boost medical infrastructure,” he said.

“In every three districts, we will have a medical college. The number of seats for UG/PG courses has increased significantly. We are ensuring medical and technical education can be imparted in the local languages.

“The DMK tried to make the peace-loving Madurai a mafia den only because of an internal family complication in DMK’s first family, he said. “Sadly, the DMK and Congress haven’t understood the ethos of Madurai. No wonder, their leaders keep insulting women again and again,” he added.

“Madurai is a city that never sleeps and keeps awake always! I’m sure Madurai has woken up to the political realities and will vote for development and progress that NDA assures,” he said ending his speech.

Speaking later at Nagercoil in Kanyakumari district, Modi attacked the opposition, stating it has reduced itself to a dynasty club. All it wants is to secure the position of its children and grandchildren. It is not bothered about your sons and daughters. In Delhi, valuable real estate has been given for memorials of one dynasty only.

In Tamil Nadu, the situation is such that senior DMK leaders who work shoulder to shoulder with Kalaignar, are feeling suffocated by the new crown prince of the party. Politics does not work this way. The mood of the nation is clearly against politics of nepotism and entitlement. The opposition loves calling people anti-democratic. It should see the nearest mirror, he said.

Taking a dig at the Congress, Modi said that it had imposed Article 356 several times. Both the DMK and AIADMK governments have been dismissed by the Congress. Having Congress in any coalition is having a high-handed ally who does not understand local sensibilities, he said.

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