Kolkata: "Bengal wants its own daughter this time", that is the theme of the Trinamool Congress's campaign for the forthcoming West Bengal assembly elections. The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, on Monday, ridiculed this slogan, while addressing a party rally at Sahagunj in Hooghly district.
"Are those daughters not Bengal's own daughters who are seeking water. There should be absolutely no mercy for that state government who had done injustice to the girls of Bengal," the Prime Minister said. He was referring to the Jal Jeevan Mission, which aims to provide safe and free drinking water to all citizens.
The Prime Minister alleged that the project has not taken off properly in West Bengal. "Almost Rs 1,700 crore was given to the West Bengal government under the scheme, out of which the state government had spent only Rs 609 crore. The remaining amount has remained unutilized. This has caused hardship for the people of West Bengal," the Prime Minister said.
He also alleged that the TMC has always given priority to vote bank over patriotism and to selective appeasement over development. "For this appeasement politics, hurdles are created for conducting Durga Puja. If BJP comes to power in West Bengal, the people of Bengal will be able to nourish Bengal's own culture," the Prime Minister said.
According to him, the TMC, which speaks of Ma-Mati-Manush (Mother-Earth-People) is the real headache for the people of the state.
"Because of the extortion by the Trinamool Congress, the poor people do not get the relief. On the other hand, the assets of the Trinamool Congress leaders are increasing, while poor people are becoming poorer.
"The situation has to change. The regime has to change. The lotus will bloom in Bengal this time," the Prime Minister said.
From that same rally, the Prime Minister virtually flagged off a number of projects including the extension of the Metro Railways from Noyapara to Dakshineshwar. The cost of the extension project is Rs 464 crore and the extension has been over an area of 5.1 kilometres. The Prime Minister also claimed that the people of Hooghly will be immensely benefited because of the projects.
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"One can now reach Kalighat from Dakshineshwar in just 40 minutes. We are emphasizing the use of indigenous technology in the modernization of metro projects," the Prime Minister said. In the 2010 Railways budget, the then railways' minister announced that Noyapara- Dakkhineshwar extension project
The PM also inaugurated the third line of railways from Kalaikunda to Jhargram. At the same time, he also inaugurated the 30-kilometre extension project under the third line project for South Eastern Railways' 132-kilometre long Khargapur-Adityapur project. The other projects that he inaugurated on Monday included an extension of the Azimgunj-Khargahat project, at a cost of Rs. 1,312 crore
Railways department sources said that a total of 154 trains will run between Kabi Subhash Metro Station and Dakkhineswar daily, besides three special trains between Dum Dum and Dakhineswar. The cost of travelling from Kabi Subhas to Dakhineswar will be Rs 25.
