PM Narendra Modi is in Assam to mark the third anniversary of his government.
Highlights
- Modi government celebrated third anniversary yesterday
- PM Modi launched infrastructure projects in Assam
- BJP to celebrate with series of events called MODI Fests
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a number of development projects in Assam today as his government celebrated its third anniversary in events across the country. Accusing the previous governments of following what he called the British-era tradition of mistrust, he said the BJP has a different style of working. "Our government trusts the people. That's our strength," he said. Celebrations of the government's anniversary - which also coincides with the first year of the BJP government in Assam - will last 20 days. Ministers and lawmakers from the BJP are participating in programmes across the country.
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"The British never trusted us. They enslaved us and doubted us. After independence, the government followed the same model, but we involved the people in decision making," PM Modi said while laying the foundation stone of an All India Institute of Medical Sciences or AIIMS at Guwahati's Sarusajai stadium.
The Prime Minister started his public engagements today by inaugurating the country's longest river bridge, the Dhola-Sadiya bridge, in Tinsukia district at 10:45 am. The 9.15 km-long bridge built over the Brahmaputra River will reduce travel time between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh by at least four hours.
"The bridge that you've been waiting for five decades is finally here... it will be known by the name of (singer) Bhupen Hazarika," he said to loud cheers at a public rally.
Next, he laid the foundation stone of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) Assam at Gogamukh in Dhemaji district. "Change doesn't come through tokenism," he said, reiterating the his aim of doubling farmers' incomes by 2022.
He also launched the agro-marine processing scheme SAMPADA to promote food processing and promised to make the North-East the economic hub of "new India".
"Initially, there will be investment of Rs 6,000 crore and later, we will go in for public-private partnership which will include foreign direct investment," he said.
The events in Assam will be the first of the five programmes that PM Modi led as part of the celebrations for completing three years in office. The high point of the celebrations will be a series of festivals titled MODI Fests (Making of Developing India Festivals), which allow the BJP to push the Prime Minister's name while also acronym-ing, a favourite tactic of the party.
BJP Chief Ministers and their deputies will participate in MODI Fests in the capital of their states. Events will be held in about 900 cities across the country between today to June 15 to highlight the achievements in the three years of the central government.
The festivals will be organised by state governments; apart from presentations highlighting key government policies and accomplishments, caps and leaflets about large welfare schemes will be shared.
For its second anniversary last year, the government, having lost crucial elections in Delhi and Bihar, was a little subdued. This year, the outsize win in Uttar Pradesh and the popular support for demonetisation has led to a considerable scaling up of messaging.
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