Imphal: Prime Minister Narendra Modi kick-started the poll campaign for the Manipur assembly election with a development push by inaugurating 13 new projects worth Rupees 1850 crores. He also laid the foundation stones of 9 new projects worth Rupees 2950 crore and said North East has emerged as the new gateway of developments in India.
"Your one vote has changed Manipur. Your vote has made the difference. You have elected a stable government and your decision made all the development possible. Earlier governments ignored Manipur and never cared about the state. We have tried to bring the union government to the doorsteps of Manipur and the North East. Leaders, Ministers, and officers now visit North East for a longer period and serve the people at their doorstep," said Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing a huge public rally in Imphal on Tuesday (January 4).
PM Modi said, "Earlier it was don't look east policy by the government, but we have changed it to act East policy. Rail lines, roads and highways are being constructed, oxygen plants are being set up in almost all districts of Manipur."
He said Manipur is the powerhouse of sports, and many women sports stars like Mary Kom, Meerabai Chanu, etc., have made the nation proud in the international arenas. The central government has also set up a sports university in the state. Launching the upcoming assembly election campaign, PM Modi targeted the opposition and said, "The slow pace of development by the earlier government made the people of Manipur suffer a lot. But things have changed under the BJP rule, and 60 per cent of the state households have a drinking water connection, which was only 6 per cent earlier."
PM Modi said while the BJP government initiated programs like go to the hill and integrated developments, previous governments created division between the hill and valley of the state for political benefits.
He added that some people are now trying to destabilise Manipur again for political benefits. He urged the people of Manipur to remember the days of long blockades, violence and compare it with the developments done in the last five years. He said blockades are now 'past' in Manipur. The Thoubal project, Tameng water project, Imphal integrated control project, and the Barak rail bridge were inaugurated by the PM. In his speech, PM Modi paid tribute to Rani Gaidinliu, who fought courageously against the Britishers and mentioned about the newly renamed Mount Manipur in Andaman Nicobar island.
