Goa, which has a 40-member assembly, will go to the polls on February 14
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the target of 100 per cent vaccination against coronavirus achieved by the Pramod Sawant-led BJP government has helped in revival of Goa's tourism industry which had been badly hit by the pandemic.
Addressing an election rally in Mapusa town ahead of the February 14 assembly polls, he said visitors are feeling safe in Goa, whose economy is dependent on tourism to a large extent, given the state's wide and rapid vaccination coverage.
“During the last two years, the world has been facing the worst-ever pandemic situation. The pandemic severely impacted the tourism industry,” he said.
The PM highlighted the milestone of India administering over 150 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses.
“Imagine if the government was being run like in the past (by other parties), what would have happened? Would the country have been able to give 150 crore vaccines? If there was no double engine government, would Goa have become the first state in the country to achieve 100 per cent vaccination?” he asked.
The term "double engine" is used by BJP leaders to refer to the party being in power at the Centre as well as in a state.
He said in the past India used to be dependent on other countries for vaccines, but now the situation has changed.
“We had to wait for 30-40 years to get the vaccine. If country had fallen short of vaccines, how would have the economy grown...how would have tourism got revived,” the PM said, highlighting the fact that India has now become a leading vaccine manufacturer in the world.
Goa's tourism industry is now on the path of growth so is India's economy, he said.
The Prime Minister said the increasing tourist arrivals show Goa's transformation under the BJP rule.
“Ten years ago, when the Congress was in power, only 25 lakh tourists used to visit Goa annually. Their number has crossed the 80-lakh mark now. When we focus on tourism and create necessary infrastructure, it benefits the state's economy and also creates employment opportunities,” he said.
The state, which has a 40-member assembly, will go to the polls on February 14 and votes will be counted on March 10.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)