Congress government delayed projects, forced people to migrate from villages in Uttarakhand: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday accused the Congress governments at the Center and Uttarakhand of dragging their feet on development projects meant for the people of the state for decades and forcing them to migrate from their villages. Modi said it inaugurated and laid foundation stones for projects worth over Rs 17,500 crore in Haldwani, including the multi-purpose Lakhwar project worth Rs 5,747 crore. Modi said the Lakhwar project was thought of in 1974 and it took nearly 46 years to see the light of day.

“Was it not a sin to delay the project of those in power before us. Will you forget their sin?” He asked the crowd gathered during the election rally at MB Inter College ground in Haldwani. Modi inaugurated six projects worth Rs 3,420 crore and laid the foundation stone of 17 others worth Rs 14,127 crore.

The projects inaugurated include three separate sections of Char Dham All Weather Road which have been widened, Nagina-Kashipur National Highway, Suringgarh Hydroelectric Project and sewage works under Namami Gange Program in Nainital. The Rs 500 crore AIIMS satellite center for Kumaon, Moradabad-Kashipur four-lane road, better road connectivity with Nepal and an Aroma Park in Kashipur are among the major projects whose foundation stone was laid by the Prime Minister. The Lakhwar Multipurpose Project will generate 300 MW of electricity. The 330 million cubic meters of water in its reservoir will supply irrigation and drinking water to the six states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi.