Vote for development: Manmohan in Roorkee

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said Uttarakhand would be turned into a development power house, which would not only produce abundant power from its hydro-electric projects but would also fuel economic development of other states.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said Uttarakhand would be turned into a development power house, which would not only produce abundant power from its hydro-electric projects but would also fuel economic development of other states.

Addressing an election rally at Roorkee in Hardwar district, the Prime Minister urged the people of the state to vote for the development works the present Congress government had carried out and added that if the same pace of growth was maintained, the state would soon wipe out unemployment and poverty. He termed Uttarakhand Chief Minister N D Tiwari as a real ‘Vikas Purush’.

Singh said after the formation of the state in 2000 and during the rule of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) interim government in the state there was no development. “The Congress government has given a distinct identity to Uttarakhand by ushering in rapid industrialisation inviting huge investment,” he said.

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“Our government has provided 40,000 government jobs and employment opportunities in the industries to the local youth,” he added.

Talking about rural unemployment, he said the employment guarantee scheme was right on track and had already provided lakhs of jobs to people in villages. He said if voted to power again in the state, the Congress government would develop more industrial parks and horticulture zones besides developing places of pilgrimage and other tourist spots.

Recalling his earlier announcements of giving Rs 100 crore for Kumbh fair to be held at Hardwar and laying of Hardwar-Muzaffarnagar rail line, Singh said Uttarakhand would continue to get Central assistance.