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Union minister Hardeep Puri visits Amritsar village, announces 4km road
The visits to the village, where the Dalits are in the majority, are part of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) national programme that aims to restore the faith of the community.
Paying his third visit to the state in less than a month and the second in a week to Mudhal village in Amritsar, on Thursday, Union minister of state (independent charge) for housing and urban affairs Hardeep Singh Puri announced various projects for the village.
The visits to the village, where the Dalits are in the majority, are part of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) national programme that aims to restore the faith of the community. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had issued directions in this regard.
“Last Thursday, I spent a night in the village to know the grievances and problems of the Dalits. Now, after consultation with state BJP president, Shwait Malik, I have decided to give free gas connections to 123 families in the village,” he told the media. He added a 4 km road in the village will also be laid with concrete over the next two months. “There will be streetlights and LEDs along the road. A shed will also be built in the village’s grain market,” he added.
On speculation that the BJP high command was trying to find a Sikh face in Punjab ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Puri added, “I am visiting Punjab only to take care of Mudhal village as per the assignment from the PM. I am a Rajya Sabha MP and am not thinking about contesting election from the Amritsar seat in 2019.” He praised the leadership of state BJP chief, Malik. “At recent party rallies, we had huge gatherings. In 2019, Punjab will support the party,” he added.
He slammed the Congress government in the state, claiming that it had failed to implement his ministry’s schemes. “I have been writing to chief ministers across the country, including Punjab to implement my schemes, but in vain,” he added.
