PM Narendra Modi in Karnataka today | Top updates

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on his second visit to poll-bound Karnataka this month to flag off a slew of development projects.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Karnataka on Thursday for the second time this month to launch a slew of development projects. He is set to visit Maharashtra later this evening. The PM had earlier shared a message on Twitter that he is looking forward to visiting the poll-bound southern state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone and inaugurate projects worth more than ₹10,800 crore in Karnataka on Thursday. (Twitter)

“I am excited to be among the people of Karnataka. Valuable works worth around ₹10,000 crore will be launched and foundation stone will be laid. These works include hydropower, roads and title deeds that will be distributed to the beneficiaries of the newly declared revenue villages,” he wrote on Twitter.

PM Modi had last set foot in Karnataka on January 12 when he inaugurated the National Youth Festival in Hubballi.

Several Karnataka BJP leaders extended a welcome to the prime minister, with chief minister Basavaraj Bommai posting, “A warm welcome to the country's proud Prime Minister Mr. @narendramodi who is coming to the state to inaugurate the left bank work of Narayanpura reservoir in Yadgiri district and to launch other development programs along with distribution of rights to new revenue villages in Kalburgi district.”

Arriving in North Karnataka's Yadgiri district, Modi inaugurated the Narayanpur Left Bank Canal - extension, renovation and modernisation project, and laid foundation stones for other development programs.

READ | PM Modi's itinerary in Karnataka and Maharashtra on Jan 19

“Foundation stone laying ceremony for expansion of Narayanpur left bank canal network and other development programs by Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi, Kodekal, Yadgiri,” CM Bommai said on Twitter, sharing a live video of the PM's speech.

“When Jal Jeevan Mission started three and a half years ago, out of 18 crore rural households only three crore rural households had a tap water connection. Today, about 11 crore rural families in the country are getting tap water. We (The BJP) brought development and good governance in those districts that were announced backward by the previous governments,” the PM said while addressing a crowd in Yadgiri.

PM Modi also arrived at Malkheda in Kalaburagi district where he is set to distribute title deeds to the eligible beneficiaries of newly declared revenue villages and also lay the foundation stone of the 71-kilometre section of the six-lane Greenfield road project which is part of the Surat- Chennai Expressway.

Addressing the crowd at Kalaburagi, Narendra Modi said, “Today is a big day for lakhs of Banjara friends of Karnataka. Now, for the first time more than 50,000 families have got their homes and their right to live. The constitution of our country came into force in the month of January, the people of this country were assured of their rights in independent India. In such a holy month, the government of Karnataka has taken a huge step for social justice.”

PM Modi also said that the Jan Dhan bank accounts have connected the backward classes to banking sector in the country. “Dalits and tribals, were the largest section, who had never even seen the door of a bank. Jan Dhan bank accounts have connected crores of underprivileged with banks. We are working with a clear strategy for empowerment,” added the Prime Minister.

He also slammed Congress government and alleged that they only focussed on vote bank politics. He said, “A party that has ruled this state for maximum time only focused on making a vote bank and never thought of the development of Banjara families. Residents of Banjara Tanda have struggled for decades facing difficulties, but things have changed under the BJP government. Our Banjara community has faced several difficulties for decades, but times have changed & now a dignified life will be ensured for them.”

Meanwhile, Narendra Modi also reminisced his visit to Kalaburagi in the year 1994. “In the 1994 assembly elections I was here for campaigning and I am happy to remember that lakhs of members from Banjara family had come to bless me,” said PM Modi.