Modi slams UPA regime for scheme delay, ‘misleading’ veterans
Geetanjali Gayatri
Tribune News Service
Faridabad, September 6
Modi flags off Delhi Metro’s Faridabad corridor
- Prime Minister Modi on Sunday flagged off the first Metro on the Faridabad-Badarpur corridor, connecting Faridabad with the national capital. The corridor, built at a cost of Rs 2,500 crore, is completely elevated.
A day after the government announced
“one rank, one pension” for veterans, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today sought
to set the record straight, saying soldiers who retired prematurely or those
injured or disabled in the line of duty would be entitled to benefits under the
scheme.
The PM took on the previous governments for unprecedented delay in its
implementation and “misleading” the fraternity on early retirement benefits.
The Prime Minister, while addressing
a “Gati Pragati” rally here, said 90 per cent of the force comprised soldiers
who worked in junior positions, fought on the frontline and retired after
putting in 15 to 20 years of service. “Some feel they will not be entitled to
the benefits. But we believe they are the first ones who should get this
benefit. Our decision was inspired by their love for the nation.”
Modi, who arrived here from Delhi in
a Metro after unveiling the link on the Badarpur-Mujesar section, justified the
delay in the announcement of OROP.
“It wasn’t easy. The previous
government had given an estimate of Rs 500 crore, while we expected it could go
up to Rs 700 crore. But as we went deeper into studying the implication, we
realised it needed Rs 8,000-10,000 crore,” he explained in his address. The
Prime Minister said those responsible for the delay in OROP’s implementation
had no business to question the government and that the government was willing
to implement the scheme at the cost of other projects.
“For 40 years, it was hanging fire
and they could not work out a solution. I’m only responsible from May 26, 2014,
after our government took over,” he said, taking a dig at the previous
Congress-led UPA government.
He recalled kicking off his campaign
as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate from Haryana by addressing
ex-servicemen in Rewari and said he had now returned to the state after
fulfilling his commitment. The PM said there were certain apprehensions about
the commission set up by the government. “The commission is purely to address
any shortcoming the scheme may have,” he explained.
A delegation of ex-servicemen met
the Prime Minister to express their gratitude for OROP. Citing development as
the panacea for all challenges, including unemployment and poverty, Modi said
the country could not be run by merely playing politics (“rajneeti”) but
required a nationalist policy (“rashtra neeti”). “Our government is working on
the single-point agenda of ushering in development — making roads, laying rail
tracks, providing better education, improved facilities among others. That is
all our country needs.
I wish all this had happened in the
past 60 years and we could have taken it forward but there is so much that needs
to be done,” Modi emphasised, adding a
home for every Indian by 2022 would
be a befitting celebration to mark 75 years of the country’s Independence.
Modi did not announce any new
project for Haryana but he said the metro rail connectivity would be extended
up to Ballabhgarh.
On global economic meltdown, Modi
said his government’s planning had helped India weather the storm. He
reiterated his “strong connect” with Haryana saying the state was his “second
home”. “I keep coming back for the love you gave me. I vow to repay it with
interest by way of bringing in development,” he said. He praised Chief Minister
Manohar Lal Khattar for being “unmatched when it came to working hard”. The
state, better known for female foeticide, had changed its complexion and was
now associated with “Beti bachao, beti padhao” programme.
“Metro’s arrival in Faridabad will
prove to be an economic driver, bringing weekend tourists and jobs. With
Faridabad making it to the list of ‘smart cities’, the challenge is far from
over. Every citizen will have to partner in making it ‘smart’ and pledge to
keeping it clean,” said Modi.
Khattar
recounted his government’s achievements saying the Kundli-Manesar-Palpal
expressway was back on track while the state had unveiled an all-new industrial
policy which had stirred investors’ interest in Haryana.