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Diwali arrives early in election-bound Himachal, courtesy PM Modi
After flagging off fourth Vande Bharat Express from Amb Andaura to Delhi, PM Modi lays foundation stone of ₹1,900-crore pharma park at Haroli and opens Indian Institute of Information Technology at Una
On his second visit in eight days to poll-bound Himachal Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched projects related to the pharma industry, education and connectivity in Una and said that the festival of Diwali had arrived early for the hill state.
Also read: Double-engine factor has given us advantage in Himachal and Gujarat, says Nadda
PM Modi flagged off the country’s fourth Vande Bharat Express that will run from Amb Andaura to New Delhi and back besides laying the foundation stone the ₹1,900-crore Bulk Drug Park at Haroli and inaugurating the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) at Una.
Later, addressing a rally at Una, Modi said, “The festival of Diwali has arrived early for Una and Himachal Pradesh. I am happy to announce gifts worth several thousand crores to the state before Dhanteras and Diwali. Today, I flagged off the inaugural run of the Vande Bharat train. The double engine government will create history and people of Himachal Pradesh will change the tradition (of changing the government).”
The semi-high-speed train will run between Delhi and Amb Andaura on all days except Wednesday. Train number 22447 from New Delhi to Amb Andora will start at 5.50am and will reach Amb Andaura at 11.05am. Train 22448 from Amb Andaura will depart at 1pm to reach New Delhi at 6.25pm. The train will have 16 coaches and will halt at Ambala, Chandigarh, Anandpur Sahib and Una.
Himachal paid price for bias of old governments
Attacking the Congress, Modi said Himachal Pradesh had paid the price of the bias of certain governments in the state and Delhi that were indifferent to the needs and aspirations of people. “Yanha vishwas ki khai, nirasha ke pahad the. Unhone kabhi Himachal ke logon ki parwah hi nahi ki (There was a trust deficit and mountain of despair. Previous governments didn’t care about the people),” said the PM.
But now time has changed, the double-engine government with the BJP in power at the Centre and in the state, is not only fulfilling the needs but also living up to the expectation of people of Himachal, the PM said.
He said developmental works were taking place in Himachal under the double engine government whether it’s rural road network, broadband connectivity, improved power supply, use of drones to supply essentials in remote, tapped water facility or common services at the village level.
Benefits of double-engine govt
The PM said that the double-engine government will invest ₹2,000 crore in the Bulk Drug Park, the foundation stone of which was laid by him in 2017, will attract more than ₹10,000-crore investments in the future besides creating thousands of employment and self-employment opportunities.
“The bulk drug park and the medical device park, the foundation stone of which was laid recently, will not only strengthen India’s position as a medicine manufacturing hub but also ensure medicines become cheaper when both the raw material and production cost will come down,” said the Prime Minister.
He said unless there is good connectivity, development can’t gather speed. “A perfect example of laidback attitude of previous governments is the Nangal-Una-Talwara railway line that is incomplete even after 40 years,” he said.
Modi said that the IIIT at Una will speed up the digital revolution. “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav will also mark the golden period of development in Himachal and take the hill state to new heights,” he said.
