Delhi Now Not Too Distant from Dispur, Says PM Modi in Poll-Bound Assam

Accusing the governments that ruled India for decades since Independence of neglecting Assam and the northeast, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday reaffirmed his commitment to the development of the region. Modi, who dedicated to the nation three major projects in the petroleum sector, enumerated steps taken by the state government led by Sarbananda Sonowal and the centre over the past few years, and said they were working together for a balanced growth of the region.

“Those who ruled for decades since Independence believed Dispur was too distant from Delhi. ‘Dilli ab door nahi aapke darwaaze par hai’ (Delhi is not far now, it stands at your doorstep,” he told a massive gathering after dedicating to people, inaugurating and laying foundation of a slew of projects worth over Rs 3,300 crore. The previous governments adopted “step-motherly” approach to Assam’s North Bank and neglected connectivity, health, education and industry, he alleged.

He said he will visit Assam and other poll bound states as many times as possible before elections are announced, likely in 1st weeek of March.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi said India had an age-old experience in making arms and military equipment but after Independence this capacity was not strengthened as he asserted that now the country is committed to enhancing its capabilities in defence manufacturing at a fast pace.

Addressing a webinar on the effective implementation of the Union Budget’s provisions in the defence sector, the prime minister listed a series of measures taken by his government to boost self-reliance in the defence sector. “Before Independence we used to have hundreds of ordnance factories. In both the World Wars, arms were exported from India on a large scale, but after Independence due to a number of reasons, this system was not strengthened as much as it should have,” he said.