Sep 17: West Bengal has started a new chapter in the annals of the Indian history. When India's GDP was 12.5% in the world, West Bengal was prominent in that country.
Now it is 4.5%. Bengal, you know, is nothing like that. If Bengal will be the Guru of Bharat, then Bharat will be the Vishwa Guru. Our government will do everything to ensure the re-emergence of “Sonar Bangla”.
We have gone to Delhi to meet Gadkariji, Honorable Minister. He has assured everything regarding the Bengal. Whatever we wanted, he told in immediate sessions.
Just first starting from Darjeeling to Bangasagar, the variable stage in West Bengal we have the hills and sagars and rivers, the different terrains. It is one of the most important state in India. It has got so different terrains.
Darjeeling to Gangasagar road has been sanctioned by Gadkariji. He was stopped in between at the NH-2. Gadkariji asked why have are stopped in the NH-2 level.
He said there are a lot of bridges to go to the Gangasagar and it will happen and we will make it. Siligudi ring road has been in the plan. Calcutta inner ring road and outer ring road are in the plan.
That cost about 35 to 40 thousand crores. Banaras to Calcutta road, we wanted that there should be a bridge over Hooghly. But the minister told we will give 6 tunnels under Hooghly.
And you make in such a way that they are opening in a different way that there should be no congestion. You give your whole state highways to us, we will make it national highways. So there will be no burden in West Bengal.
If there is a burden it goes to us. Likewise every proposal, Birbhum; if you have gone to Birbhum, there are 5 or 6 old bridges, 90 years old. So that road has been sanctioned already.
So Gadkariji told you start making the bridge for the national highway, because the bridge will take time. In the meantime, we have engaged IIT Roorkee, that is the best in the civil engineering in India. MOA will be signed on 22nd of September and they will design the bridges and they will collaborate with us.
In PHE, AMRUT Bharat—AMRUT Yojana—was started in the regime of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ji.
PHE’s work in the department is that we supply bulk water to the corporations and municipalities, but at the level of the gram panchayat, we directly connect the houses. So we are supplying bulk water to all the corporations and the municipalities; now it is their responsibility to supply to households.
But in the last 40 to 50 years—49 years—they have ruined Bengal. “Bhenge dao, guriye dao, pudiye dao” was the slogan. And next, they were very good students: what they had done in 40 years, these people have done in 5 years. They got 15 years to ruin Bengal.
So, Modi Ji’s first words were: “Bhay-mukt Bengal. Bhay out, bharosa in.” And I believe that since the 4th, a fear-free atmosphere has arrived in Bengal, and trust is in. That is why today we are sitting across the table.
As far as the ferry ghat is concerned, already under our plan, 80 ferry ghats will be there, riverfronts will be there, and talks are underway with the shipping industry so that we can build small ships. The river ferry service you mentioned, we will give concrete shape to that as well. And as far as all government schemes are concerned, just now you were asking about the ring road, but I cannot explain its construction. It is a great way of engineering; they will decide how to make the ring road and outer ring road.
So, this assurance I can give from the side of PWD and PHE, and on behalf of my honorable Chief Minister—it hasn't even been four full months, yet he has done more work than the number of days he has been in office. In the last cabinet meeting, we took a decision regarding universities. Where a Naxalite university is flourishing in West Bengal—where nothing happens except devastation—we have introduced a decision that anyone can be transferred anywhere. So, regarding the monopoly of that university—Jadavpur University—we will demonstrate to them how to run the government and how to run a state.
Therefore, nothing that stands in the way of Bengal's progress will be tolerated; no such people will be spared. The government is with you, standing shoulder to shoulder. You should come forward without hesitation, and for any work where we can be of service, you can speak up anytime. I am always ready to work with you. Whatever can be done from the government's side, you will receive every kind of support.
With these words, I conclude my speech. Tomorrow, the 17th, is Modi Ji’s birthday, and from the 17th until October 17th, a month-long program.
On 10th, there is Mahalaya. After that, people of Bengal live in a Pooja-festive mood. They cannot be brought anywhere.
So, in principle, they had agreed with it and yesterday, for their inauguration, we have given a D.R.S. in the name of their health. Yesterday evening, in all the assembly, we have given Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 1,00,000 as per their demand And tomorrow, our Chief Minister, has allotted Rs. 1,00,000 to Ganga Ghat, for his program to be inaugurated. And such a continuous program, without public participation, all of us sitting on the table, without public participation, we cannot do anything. If you want to run an industry, industry cannot run without public participation.
If you want to work in public, no work can be done without public participation. 50% are women. Without women's empowerment, the country cannot move forward.
We are the people who say Sitaram and Radheshyam. First comes the name of women's empowerment. Without that, there is a woman in front of their name.
She is our woman and the woman of the country. And how much Modi Ji has worked for women's empowerment, in the coming days, women's empowerment will tell us which way the country is moving forward. For example, in the case of Ayushman Bharat, the Chief Minister has said that there are steps in Ayushman Bharat, which many people have not observed.
But instead of them, the Chief Minister's health insurance scheme will cover every house. Not a single house will be left. So we are trying to bring such schemes, which can reach all people. And this delimitation, which the central government is going to do, including the Lok Sabha, has a 33% reservation for women. So if there are 33% female MPs/Member of Legislative Assembly, then we can guess how their share will increase in the country. If you have a vision, then you will move towards it, that we have to plant this plant.
We have to plant this much capacity in it. So Modi Ji's vision is how to take the country forward, whether it is the defense sector, the R&D sector, the industry sector, the road infrastructure, in the world. Today, the name of Modi Ji is echoing and ringing.
Whatever Modi Ji says, the whole world listens to him carefully, whether it be the President of America or the whole of Europe. Earlier, if Indians used to live abroad, then they would hesitate to reveal their nationalities. Today, like the 56-inch chest of the Prime Minister who also feels the same way, the common Indian also confesses boldly that they are proud to be an Indian and a Hindusthani.
So this change, which has come after 2014, is unforgettable, and it should continue to go on like this. India should become a world leader.
