Modi unveils 29 projects worth Rs 12,000 cr in Varanasi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the beneficiaries of welfare schemes today are examples of social justice and “real secularism”, as he slammed the previous regimes for coming up with their schemes while “sitting in air-conditioned rooms”.

Addressing a public rally in his parliamentary constituency of Varanasi, Modi said the schemes earlier were meant for a select few and the past governments did not get seek feedback from the ground.

"Ensuring self-respect for the poor is a Modi guarantee," he said.

Varanasi was the second stop on Modi's Uttar Pradesh trip. Earlier, in Gorakhpur, he addressed the closing ceremony of the centenary celebrations of Gita Press.

He also launched two new Vande Bharat Express trains at an event at Gorakhpur station.

While at the Gorakhpur event, he talked about combining development with respect for the country's heritage, in Varanasi the focus was on welfare schemes.

Development projects were unveiled at both places.

Varanasi's 29 new projects are worth Rs 12,000 crore.

Modi said the biggest complaint against the previous governments was that the welfare schemes were made “sitting in air-conditioned rooms”.

“They never got to know what the impact of the schemes was on the ground,” he said, adding that now there is dialogue and “direct feedback” from the intended beneficiaries.

He said the benefit of democracy has reached the right people now, so many years after Independence. Earlier, only a select few benefited, he added.

“The poor had no say.”

The prime minister said previously the welfare schemes were meant to help “one family and one generation". But his government keeps in mind the benefit of the future generations as well, he claimed.

“Under the BJP government, the beneficiary category has become an example of real social justice and real secularism,” the PM said.

He said corruption in welfare schemes has ended, and there is no discrimination.

In Varanasi, he launched the Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction-Son Nagar railway line of the Dedicated Freight Corridor.

Modi also dedicated to the nation three railway lines whose electrification or doubling has been completed at a cost of more than Rs 990 crore. They are the Ghazipur city-Aunrihar, Aunrihar-Jaunpur and Bhatni-Aunrihar lines.

The four-laning of the Varanasi-Jaunpur section of NH-56, completed at a cost of more than Rs 2,750 crore, was also unveiled.

Other projects inaugurated by the prime minister here included roads, a girls' hostel building.

Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath attended the Gorakhpur and Varanasi events.