In a significant decision, the Chhattisgarh Government approved 18 lakh houses under the Pradhan Mantri Aawas Yojna- PMAY (Prime Minister Housing Scheme) to be built for those who fall under the eligible category under the flagship scheme of the Union Government on December 14.
Interacting with the media after his maiden Cabinet Meeting, the Chief Minister (CM), Vishnu Deo Sai, also assured that steps would be taken to fulfil all the poll promises made by the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).
“First I would like to thank the people of Chhattisgarh who have given us a mandate par expectation. We had a pact with the people of Chhattisgarh that if we voted to the power the CM will approved 18 lakh houses for the poor of the State, the same had been reiterated by the Prime Minister (PM) during his rallies in the State, hence we decided to fulfill that promise in our first meeting of cabinet,” said the CM.
“The last Government has left the economy of the State in a hollowed State. After being voted to power with such a huge mandate, we will do everything possible to fulfil Modi’s guarantee in the next five years,” added Sai.
Further, while replying to a query about the support of tribals (Vanvasis) to the BJP, Sai said that “the Vanvasi community has blessed us, we have swept the Vanvasi dominated northern region of the State while in Bastar we have won 8 out of 12 assembly seats. There was indeed a time when the community used to vote for the Congress party, though things started to change after Atal Bihari Vajpayee became the Prime Minister.”
“The incumbent Union Government has also done a lot for the upliftment of the Vanvasi community; it’s a matter of pride for all of us that a woman from the community is sitting at the supreme post of the country. The community has realised that this can only be done in a BJP regime. That is why when we were interacting with the people before the elections, they were of the opinion that a mistake had been made and we would not be scammed this time around, and ultimately, they have taught a lesson to the Congress party,” added the CM.
We had also promised the farmers of the State that we would provide them with a bonus of two years in a single shot if voted to power, and I assure you that whatever promise made under the guarantee of Modi will be fulfilled by us at any cost, said the CM further while replying to a query.
In the end, after being asked about his vision for the Vanvasi community, the first Vanvasi CM of the State replied that, as I said earlier, the amount of respect given to the community by the BJP is second to none, and whatever steps have been taken by the BJP government were in the wellbeing of the society.
“I would like to add that earlier, there was starvation in the Vanvasi-dominated remote regions, and people depended only on forest produce such as Sarai and Mahuva. However, when a BJP Government was formed in the State, we commenced schemes about the distribution of cheap rations to the people; these schemes became so popular that our former CM was called ‘Chaaur Wale Baba’ (A saint with Rice),” added Sai in the end.
Hailing from the Vanvasi community, Vishnu Deo Sai took oath as the first Vanvasi CM of the State in a grand ceremony held at the science college in Raipur on the afternoon of December 13. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President JP Nadda, and other CMs of the BJP-ruled States also attended the swearing-in ceremony of Sai.
