Agencies / Thrissur
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reiterated his Government’s commitment to fight against corruption. Addressing a public meeting at Thrissur in Kerala today, Mr Modi urged the opposition not to put barriers in the country’s progress and stop misleading the people. The Prime Minister said the opposition parties are not having any regard for the constitutional institutions. Mr. Modi accused the opposition of being ideologically bankrupt and lacking a positive outlook towards development.
Referring to the Sabarimala issue, the Prime Minister said, the cultural fabric of Kerala is currently under severe attack. He said, the ruling LDF Government is undermining the cultural heritage of the State and also criticised the Congress-led opposition for its double standards on many issues. Mr Modi said that the opposition parties have no genuine concern for women empowerment as was evident from their varied stand on Triple Talaq and other important issues.
Mr Modi dedicated Bharat Petroleum Corporation’s Integrated Refinery Expansion Complex at Kochi. He also laid the foundation stone of the Petrochemical Complex at the same venue. This marks the successful culmination of the Integrated Refining Expansion project making Kochi Refinery into a world-class refinery with the largest refining capacity among public sector refineries in the country. The Prime Minister also dedicated Moulded LPG Storage Facility of Indian Oil Corporation at it’s Kochi Bottling plant, Udayamperoor and laid the foundation stone of the second campus of Skill Development Institute at Ettumanoor.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Modi asserted that the NDA government has taken decisive steps to bring down crude oil import by 10 percent and save precious foreign exchange for the country. He said, the government has provided nearly six crores free LPG connections to the poor under the Ujjwala scheme making 90 per cent homes smokeless.
Earlier, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for All India Institutes of Medical Sciences, AIIMS at Madurai in Tamil Nadu today. He also inaugurated the super speciality blocks of Madurai’s Rajaji Medical College and Thanjavur and Tirunelveli Medical Colleges through video conferencing. Mr Modi also dedicated a dozen Post Office Pass Port Seva Kendras to the nation.
Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said that AIIMS hospitals have a brand name in providing quality health care for people from Kanyakumari to Kashmir and from Gujarat to Guwahati. He said, the brand name of AIIMS has been taken to all corners of the nation and it has become the byword for India’s ‘Ek Bharat Shreshth Bharat’ scheme. He said that NDA govt is giving great priority to the health sector so that everyone is healthy and the health care is affordable.
He said, the launch of Ayushman Bharat is a big step and the scheme seeks to undertake path-breaking interventions to holistically address health issues. Mr Modi said the speed and scale at which Mission Indradhanush is working, is setting a new paradigm in preventive healthcare. He said, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan is making safe pregnancy a mass movement.
The Prime Minister said that the isolated Dhanushkoti islet in Southern part of the Bay of Bengal will be connected to mainland Tamil Nadu at the cost of a 21000 crores rupees. He said that Tamil Nadu with its robust industrial climate will be accorded more importance in the Centre’s Make in India initiative.
Referring to the 10 per cent reservation in education and jobs to the poor among the General Category, Mr Modi said, it does not impact the Dalits, Tribals and OBCs, who are already availing the benefits of reservation. He said, it is unfortunate that an atmosphere of suspicion and mistrust is being created by a few people in Tamil Nadu to serve their vested interests. He called upon the people of the state to remain vigilant against such negativity. The Prime Minister took a swipe at the proposed grand alliance of opposition parties, saying they had set aside their differences to remove him in the forthcoming Parliamentary elections.
Mr Modi said, the government was taking effective steps to rid the country of corruption and nepotism. He assured that firm action will be taken against economic offenders. Mr Modi said, any person who has cheated or looted the country shall be brought to justice, regardless of whether the offender is in India or abroad.