Raigarh: On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that every region of India is getting equal attention in development and care of the underprivileged, which has led to international organisations discussing learning from India's success stories in several fields.
He made this claim while speaking at an event in Kodatarai, a hamlet in the Raigarh region of Chhattisgarh.
In nine districts of Chhattisgarh, where assembly elections are scheduled at the end of the year, the Prime Minister lay the foundation stone for 'critical care blocks' with 50 beds each.
In addition, he gave out a total of one million sickle cell counselling cards to everyone who tested positive.
The Indian model of 'Garib Kalyan' (welfare of the poor) is being closely observed and praised around the world. Attendees at the G20 conference in New Delhi, including many world leaders, were inspired by India's development and Garib Kalyan initiatives, he s
We have witnessed that 13.5 crore people have been lifted out of poverty in only the past five years. He elaborated, saying that this was due to the fact that the BJP government had implemented programmes to help the underprivileged.
It is because every state and every section of the country is receiving equal priority in development, Modi added, that worldwide organisations are now talking about learning from India's achieveme
According to the Prime Minister, the state of Chhattisgarh, which is currently governed by the Congress party, has benefited from the federal government's consistent efforts towards holistic development over the past nine years.
A new era in the history of Chhattisgarh's railway network is beginning today, he said, adding that after the projects are finished, the Jharsuguda-Bilaspur segment of the Bilaspur-Mumbai line will see less congestion.
The Prime Minister also noted that the beginning of new railway lines and the building of new train corridors will provide a similar boost to Chhattisgarh's economic development.
Upon completion, he stated, "these routes will not only provide convenience to the people of Chhattisgarh but will also create new employment and income opportunities in the region."
The Prime Minister added that in the next 25 years of 'Amrit Kaal' (period culminating in the centenary of independence in 2047), "we have to transform India into a developed country," and he emphasised that everyone should have a say in the process. "We have to meet the energy needs of the country and also take care of the environment," he stressed.
T S Singh Deo, the deputy chief minister of Chhattisgarh, spoke at the event and emphasised that the federal government has not been unfair to the individual states.
Personally, I haven't encountered any prejudice. When we as state governments have sought assistance from the federal government, it has been forthcoming. With our combined efforts, I know we can make this state and country even better places to live," Singh Deo added.
Senior Congress leader Singh Deo was seen on the dais shaking hands with the PM when he finished speaking.
The Chhattisgarh East Rail Project Phase-I, the third rail line from Champa to Jamga, the third rail line from Pendra Road to Anuppur, and the MGR (Merry-Go-Round) system connecting the Talaipalli Coal Mine and the NTPC Lara Super Thermal Power Station (STPS) were all opened to the public.
Under the ambitious PM Gati Shakti-National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity, the Chhattisgarh East Rail Project Phase-I is being developed, and it will consist of a 124.8 km rail line from Kharsia to Dharamjaigarh, with a spur line to Gare-Pelma and three-feeder lines connecting Chhal, Baroud, Durgapur and other coal mines.
The 'critical care blocks', with capacity for 50 patients, would be constructed in nine different regions of Chhattisgarh. More than Rs 210 crore would be spent on the Pradhan Mantri-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) to construct nine critical care blocks in the districts of Durg, Kondagaon, Rajnandgaon, Gariaband, Jashpur, Surajpur, Surguja, Bastar, and Raigarh.
Counselling cards were given out to anyone who tested positive for sickle cell disease as part of a nationwide initiative to help with the health issues brought on by the condition, especially among the tribal population.
As part of the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission (NSAEM), the Prime Minister handed out a million counselling cards to everyone who had been screened.—Inputs from Agencies