PM Modi pitches for 'double engine' of development in Manipur on
Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted on Friday that impediments to Manipur's progress have been removed and it is now primed for fast-paced development, as he asked its people to not allow the forces that kept it down for 70 years to rear their head again.
Addressing the people of the poll-bound state on its statehood day, Modi said Manipur deserves peace and also deserves to be ridden of frequent bandhs and blockades, and added that it has been achieved under the leadership of Chief Minister N Biren Singh.
The BJP is in power in the state where the assembly polls will be held on February 27 and March 3.
"Manipur stands at a crucial juncture after 50 years (of statehood). Manipur has started journey towards fast development. Obstacles that existed have been removed. We don't have to look back from here. When our country completes 100 years of Independence, it will also be 75 years of Manipur's statehood.
"This is also 'amrit kaal' (goden era) for Manipur's development. Forces that halted its progress should not be allowed to allowed to rear their hears. We should remember this... With the double engine of development, Manipur has to be developed at a fast pace," he said.
BJP leaders use the term "double engine" to refer to the party being in power at the Centre as well as in a state. While the Congress dominated politics in Manipur for much of the time since its foundation, the BJP rose to power there for the first time in 2017 and is now looking to retain it.
Modi said he has made constant efforts to get a first-hand account of expectations and aspirations of the state's people which has enabled him to get a better understanding of their feelings and expectation and to find ways to tackle their problems.
The prime minister said the government is committed to making Manipur the sports powerhouse of the country, and it has a key role in the vision of making the North-East the centre of its Act East policy.
The state has got the country's first national sports university, he noted, lauding the sporting abilities of its youngsters.
This has prompted his government to work to make the state India's sporting powerhouses, he said, adding that its youngsters are also doing well in the field of startups and entrepreneurship
.The prime minister said under the 'double-engine' of development, Manipur is getting long awaited facilities like railways. People of the state had to wait for 50 years for a passenger train, he said.
Connectivity projects worth thousands of crores rupees are underway in the state, including Jiribam-Tupul-Imphal railway line. Similarly, with the Imphal airport getting international status, connectivity of North-Eastern states with Delhi, Kolkata and Bengaluru has improved.
Manipur will also benefit from the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway and upcoming ₹9000 crore natural gas pipeline in the region, he said.
Tripura becoming land of opportunities: PM Modi
India
New Delhi,Jan 21: Prime Minister, Narendra Modi paid tribute to the people who have contributed to the establishment and development of Tripura. He acknowledged the dignity and contribution of the state from the period of Manikya Dynasty. He praised the unity and collective efforts of the people of the state. He was speaking on the occasion of the 50th Statehood day of Tripura today.
The Prime Minister underlined the three years of meaningful development and said that Tripura is becoming a land of opportunities under the aegis of relentless efforts of the double engine government.
Highlighting the state's excellent performance on many of the development parameters, the Prime Minister said that through the construction of the connectivity infrastructure, the state is fast becoming the hub of the trade corridor. Today, along with roads, railways, air and inlay waterways are also connecting Tripura with the rest of the world. The double engine government fulfilled the long pending demand of Tripura and got access to the Chittagong sea port in Bangladesh. The state received the first cargo from Bangladesh through Akhaura Integrated Check Post in 2020. The Prime Minister also mentioned the recent expansion of Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport.
The Prime Minister talked about good work in the state regarding providing pucca houses to the poor and use of new technology in housing construction. These Light House Projects (LHP) are going on in six states and Tripura is one of them. He said that the work of the last three years is just a beginning and Tripura's real potential is yet to be realized. He said that the measures in the fields ranging from transparency in the administration to infrastructure development will prepare the state for decades to come. Campaigns like saturation of benefits and facilities in all the villages will make the lives of the people of Tripura easier and better, he said.
The Prime Minister said as India will attain 100 years of Azadi, Tripura will also complete 75 years of statehood. "This is a great period for new resolutions and new opportunities", the Prime Minister added.
