Concluding his three-day visit to Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the state was plagued by the ailment of vote bank politics 20 years ago. He was inaugurating and laying foundation stones of several projects, including the MediCity Complex that has come up at Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital.
Elders know about the ailment of vote bank politics and other ailments like the backwardness in healthcare, education, shortage of electricity and water, misgovernance and poor law and order, he pointed out.
Modi, who had taken over as Gujarat chief minister in 2001, said that he changed the system and put an end to the rampant corruption. He enlisted the efforts made in the last 20 years and also mentioned how the healthcare facilities and facilities in other sectors had increased.
The prime minister said that the kind of healthcare initiatives taken in Gujarat are now guiding the government in national schemes. At times so much work is being done that one forgets to mention about what all has been done, he remarked.
Gujarat government had received flak from various quarters for its alleged failure to tackle Covid-19. Modi, however, said had it not been for the 1,200-bed Civil Hospital it is difficult to imagine how one would have tackled the pandemic.
During his engagements in Ahmedabad, Jamnagar, Bharuch and Modhera, the prime minister indirectly attacked Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party for the freebies. The PM has also ensured to drive home the point, time and again, about the developmental works carried out in various sectors.
As the elections nears, the PM, during his programmes, has also pointed out to the gatherings that they should not remain complacent thinking that the opposition Congress isn’t doing anything. He pointed out that the Congress has been doing “khatla bethaks” (meeting people in the rural areas one on one or in groups) even though they hold fewer press conferences and make less noise.
The PM has also been emphasizing on the “double engine” government at the Centre and the state government and trying to drive home the point that more works can be carried out with the dual power.
Modi is expected to visit Gujarat on October 19 and the grapevine in the political circles is that the dates of the assembly elections will be announced once his programme is over.
The prime minister also spoke, over a video call, to beneficiaries of dialysis and cancer treatments, under government schemes, in different parts of the state.
