Sindri (Dhanbad): Prime Minster Narendra Modi laid the foundation of projects worth Rs 27,000 crore, including a fertiliser plant that would replace Sindri's showpiece establishment of yesteryear, telling a gathering of over 1 lakh people on Friday that he was happy to be able to return with interest the love he received while campaigning in Jharkhand for the 2014 elections.
" Jab mein 2014 Lok Sabha chunav ke samay apke paas aaya tha to maine bahut sara vada kiya tha. Aur mujhe khushi hai ki aap logon ne jo pyar mujh par dikhaya usse aaj main vyaj ke saath lauta paa raha hoon. (When I had come to you all during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, I had made a lot of promises. Today, I am happy that I have been able to return with interest the love you had showered on me)," Modi said from a dais at a specially erected hangar at Baliapur airstrip after arriving here by chopper from Santiniketan in Bengal at 3.55pm.
He said his government had done a lot for youth, women, and the marginalised, and was now working on more projects, together worth Rs 80,000 crore, that would be completed within a stipulated time. He, however, did not elaborate.
"The people of Jharkhand are sitting on kala heera (black diamond) in the form of coal which, despite being of black colour, has the potential of lighting up the entire country," the Prime Minister said amid chants of "Modi, Modi" from the crowd.
In his 30-minute speech that began at 4.45pm, Modi spoke at length about reaching electricity to 18,000 villages across the country, and used the opportunity to launch a blistering attack on the Opposition.
"My critics accuse me of working for the rich. But I want to ask them which rich people live in the 18,000 villages that have been electrified. Those guided by fashion of showing devotion towards the poor by bad-mouthing the rich should answer," he said, adding that his opponents were now visiting villages with cameras to check if electricity had reached or not. "At least those who never visited villages are now going to these remote areas," he added.
Among the projects flagged off by Modi were a Rs 7,000-crore Sindri Fertiliser Project being executed by Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan (HURL), a joint venture of Coal India, NTPC, Indian Oil, in cooperation with Fertiliser Corporation of India and Hindustan Fertiliser Corporation; a thermal power plant at Patratu; and a Rs 2,440-crore gas pipeline project, in addition to an extension project of Deoghar airport and an AIIMS in the temple town.
Modi, who praised the Raghubar Das government for timely completion of the Centre's rural electrification project, also handed over appointment letters to five CCL project-affected persons.
Among those who were present at the function were Union ministers R.K. Singh (power), Sudarshan Bhagat (tribal affairs), Ashwini Choubey (health and family welfare) and governor Droupadi Murmu in addition to the chief minister.
Das heaped praises on his leader. "The prestige of India has been enhanced in the global community during the four years of Modi's prime ministership. Now, no country can ignore us."
NEW PROJECTS
• Patratu power (Phase 1): 18,668
• Sindri fertiliser plant: 7,000
• Piped natural gas pipeline: 2,440
• Deoghar airport extension: 441
• AIIMS at Deoghar: 1,103
(In Rs crore)
