Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated and laid foundation stones for development initiatives worth ₹3,050 crore in tribal dominated Khudvel in Gujarat’s Navsari district. He said over 1.4 million people in the tribal belt will benefit from the projects for improving water supply and connectivity.
Modi, who was the Gujarat chief minister from 2001 to 2014, said governments in Gujarat before the BJP came into power over two decades ago did not care much about the development of the tribal regions.
“…there was a chief minister from this area whose own village did not have a water tank. There was a handpump that did not function properly at times. After I got an opportunity to serve as the chief minister, I got a water tank installed in his village,” Modi told a gathering. He added he was grateful to have learnt discipline, cleanliness and how to protect the environment from the tribal people.
He said another chief minister of Gujarat made headlines in the local newspapers for inaugurating a water tank in Jamnagar. “Some people would say that elections are around so we are announcing these projects. I challenge that someone can find out one week in the last 22 years when we did not carry out any development project.”
Modi, who is on a day-long visit to his home state, performed the Bhumi Pujan for 13 water supply projects for Tapi, Navsari and Surat districts worth ₹961 crores. He inaugurated Nal Se Jal projects worth ₹163 crore and Astol regional water supply project worth about ₹586 crores linked to Madhuban Dam.
“Due to this project, we have been able to take water to the hilly region as high as a 200-storeyed building. If it was for elections, one would not put in this kind of effort for 200-300 votes. This project is a marvel in the field of engineering…the tribal people living in the hilly areas face issues of access to water. They reside in isolated areas [and] deserve access to drinking water. This is not just about water,” Modi said.
Modi said he was overwhelmed by the size of the gathering. “I take pride in getting opportunity to serve as the chief minister of Gujarat. But never have I witnessed such a large gathering of tribals. I am proud that after leaving Gujarat, whoever took the responsibility, has done commendable work,” Modi said while lauding Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel and state BJP chief C R Patil, who represents Navsari in Parliament.
In the 2017 elections, the BJP won nine of 27 seats reserved for scheduled tribes and Congress 15. After defections and by-elections, both BJP and Congress have a dozen lawmakers each from in the state’s tribal belt.
Modi was also scheduled to inaugurate a medical college in Navsari district and Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre headquarters in Ahmedabad.