By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, June 2, 2016 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday claimed that his government has prioritised development of eastern Indian States, including Odisha, which have remained economically backward despite abundant natural resources.

Addressing the BJP’s Vikash Utsav rally at Balasore, Modi said the governments were visible in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled western and central states of India, which were far more developed than their counterparts in the east.

Modi named Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Haryana as “more developed states” in the country than Bihar, West Bengal, Assam and Odisha,

“Poverty (in the eastern region) is increasing. People from here go to western states for jobs. Why? You have every resource to be self-sufficient. The God has given you everything,” he said.

“But despite that why is the poverty still chasing us? Eastern India needs more development. And that is why all our developmental plans have focused on eastern states including Odisha,” the Prime Minister said.

Speaking about the poverty in Odisha, he said “Odisha has abundant natural resources like iron ore, coal and along coastline. But still, poverty is chasing the State”.
He said that the policies of his government “related to everyday problems of the poor in India”.

“Who needs government? Do the rich people need government? If anybody needs it is the poor of the nation. Governments are for the poor…we have to defeat poverty. Get rid of it. And that is why we work towards the empowerment of the poor,” he said.

Modi said that the previous central governments have all been shouting slogans to eradicate poverty. “Their intentions may have been honest. I do not doubt that. But experience has shown that their path was wrong. Far from coming down, poverty and unemployment have kept growing.”

The Prime Minister said his government has already electrified more than 18,000 villages in India. “These villages were without power even 70 years after independence. This is the beginning of empowerment of the poor,” he added.

Talking about his government’s agenda on rural electrification, the prime minister said ” Our aim is to electrify 18,000 villages in 1000 days in the country. 7,000 villages have been provided electricity within 300 days; our efforts are on to electrify the rest of the villages.”

“Electricity not only provides power to a village, but also it empowers the village”, Modi said.

Speaking about his government initiatives to protect girl child, he said the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ abhiyan is functioning across the country to save the girl child and provide them education. Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana has been implemented for the education of girls, he added.

“I feel the pain of those mothers who do not get proper support and help while giving birth, I want to provide best facilities for them. Janani Surakhya Yojana reaches the home of every expectant mother to ease their pain,” he said.

The Prime Minister said the ‘Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana’ launched by his government, had helped poor people, who had no access to banks earlier, open bank accounts.

Thanking the large crowd that had gathered at the AIIMS ground, Modi said; “I see a flood of people here; they have come with so much love. There is no election, no protest, but still you all have come out here in this blistering heat. People sitting in A/C rooms in Delhi cannot see this scene. This love and blessing would energise us to take the country to new heights,” he said.

Concluding his hour long speech, Modi chanted Bharat Mata Ki Jai and asked the gathering to recite at a pitch that would reach Bhubaneswar to wake up the State government from its deep slumber.