PM launches country’s first river linking project on Vajpayee's brith centenary
Bhopal: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday unveiled the Rs 44,600 crores Ken-Betwa river linking project at Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur district, coinciding with the 100th birth anniversary of former PM Atal Behari Vajpayee, whose birth anniversary is observed as the "Good Governance Day".
Speaking at the launch of the multi-purpose project, billed as the country’s first river interlinking project, Mr Modi, reflecting on Atal Behari Vajpayee's rich legacy on his 100th birthday, said that the former PM laid emphasis on good governance to ensure development of the country.
Mr Modi said that the BJP has been re-elected at the Centre for the third time and has been in power in Madhya Pradesh for the past many years as the party has gained the trust of the people due to the good governance provided by the BJP governments.
“Good governance is not a day’s affair for us. Good governance has become the identity of the BJP governments”, Mr Modi said, adding that the Congress, which ruled at the Centre and in the states for a long period, had chosen to shun good governance.
"The Congress had delayed critical developmental projects for decades and failed to deliver effective governance," he said and added, “The Congress and good governance cannot go together. The Congress believes governance is its birthright but never delivered.”
Describing B.R. Ambedkar as the first leader in the country who laid emphasis on water conservation, Mr Modi said "Baba Saheb" was instrumental in shaping India’s water conservation policies and that the Central Water Commission exists today because of him.
“But Congress never gave him credit,” Mr Modi lamented.
Continuing his attack on the Opposition party, Mr Modi said that the previous Congress governments made announcements, but the benefits did not reach the people due to a lack of intent and seriousness in implementation.
The Prime Minister exhorted the intellectuals, academicians and political analysts to evaluate the country after having completed 75 years of Independence on the parameters of development, public welfare and good governance.
“If we are evaluated on certain parameters, the country will see how dedicated we are towards the common people,” he said.
Good governance requires not only good schemes but also their effective implementation. The measure of good governance is the extent to which the government schemes benefit the people.
“Good governance means that the citizens should not have to beg the government for their rights or run around the government offices. Our policy is to connect 100 per cent of beneficiaries with 100 per cent benefits, which sets our governments apart from others. That is why the people repeatedly give us the opportunity to serve”, he said.
Mr Modi attributed the current water problem in Bundelkhand to the failure of the previous Congress governments to find a permanent solution to the problem and said that the Ken-Betwa river linking project will change the lives of people in the region, bringing prosperity for them.
The Ken-Betwa river linking project will provide irrigation facilities to 10 districts in Madhya Pradesh and four districts in Uttar Pradesh.
Madhya Pradesh has become the first state in the country to initiate two projects under the grand campaign of river linking, he said.
The Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal river linking project was launched by the Prime Minister in Rajasthan's Jaipur last week. The project will benefit Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Mr Modi said that the past decade would be remembered in the history of India as an unprecedented decade of water security and conservation and added that the previous governments had divided water-related responsibilities among different departments, but it was his government that created the ministry of jal shakti to address the issue.
For the first time, a national mission was launched to provide tap water to every household, he said.
In the seven decades after Independence, only 3 crore rural families had tap connections. But in the past five years, tap water was provided to 12 crore people at an estimated expenditure of Rs 3.5-lakh crores.
Mr Modi also laid the foundation stone of 1,153 "Atal Gram Sushasan" (panchayat) buildings and dedicated to the nation the first phase of the Omkareshwar floating solar power project in Khandwa district in Madhya Pradesh on the occasion.
He also released the commemorative postal stamp and Rs 100 coin on the occasion of Atal Behari Vajpayee’s 100th birth anniversary.
