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Ahmedabad
Ahead of Gujarat assembly polls in December, Prime Minister Narendra Modi exuded confidence that the people of his home State are committed to keeping the 'vikas yatra' (the development momentum) unharmed.
The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has been in office for over two decades here. As a result of the same party helming the State and the Centre (double-engine government), Surat's poor and middle-class have received numerous advantages, Modi said.
"Under Centre's Ayushyamaan Bharat programme, about 4 crore people have benefitted nationally, while 32 lakh from Gujarat and about 1.25 lakh were from Surat alone," he said. Likewise, under the PM SVANidhi scheme of cheap collateral-free loans from the banks for urban poor, about 35 lakh people have benefitted nationally, with about 2.5 lakh people in Gujarat and about 40,000 in Surat.
Modi said that these development schemes reflect the success of the ‘double-engine government’. “I have full faith (in the people of Gujarat) that they are committed and resolute in protecting the strength of Gujarat,” he said.
In 2017 assembly polls, out of 18 seats of Surat districts, BJP secured 15, while Congress got only three. The district bears strong political significance, as the current Bhupendra Patel cabinet has four ministers (one cabinet and three MoS) including MoS Home Harsh Sanghvi from the Surat district alone.
The two-day Gujarat visit began on Thursday with a visit to Surat, which has transformed itself from a city of epidemics and calamities like floods to becoming “one of the world’s fastest-growing cities” in 20 years.
DREAM City project
Addressing a gathering, Modi laid the foundation stones for development projects worth ₹3,473 crore that includes a water supply project, drainage project, a bio-diversity park and a DREAM City project to boost the diamond trade in the city.
"Once completed, the DREAM City project will make Surat a safe and secure diamond trading hub in the world," he said adding that Surat's power loom cluster will also benefit from the Centre's recent approval for Surat Powerloom Mega Cluster and address the current issues faced by the sector.
He also stated that Surat has started working on multi-modal connectivity through the airport, rail network, and sea route through RO-RO ferry services. He added that a train with specialised container fitting onto it would soon carry goods from Surat to Kashi benefitting businesses and workers.
Besides Surat, Modi will also launch new development projects in Bhavnagar and will throw open the 36th National Games from the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad later in the day.
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