Farmers Are Food Providers, Not Mere Vote Banks: PM Modi in Palamu

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday laid the foundation of several irrigation projects in Jharkhand, including Rs 2,391.36 crore Mandal dam, that will provide irrigation to 19,604-hectare area in Palamu and Garhwa districts.

The work on the Mandal dam had began in 1972, but was stalled since 1993. It will now be constructed on the North Koel river in Barwadih block of Latehar district.

While addressing the people, Modi took a dig at the previous governments, saying they were least bothered about farmers' welfare in Jharkhand, and the delay in completing the Mandal dam project was proof of that. He added that this delay by the previous government was one of the reasons why farmers had to take loans.

Farmers are a vote bank for Congress, and for us, farmers are our food providers. This is the difference between Congress and BJP.

Narendra Modi

“First they forced farmers to take loans, now they’re misleading them in the name of loan waivers,” he said.

Prior to addressing a public rally here, he also handed over keys of houses to five beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

Not only houses, but people are getting respect and confidence. Middle class are also getting benefits.

Narendra Modi

Elaborating on his housing for all policy, he said, “Earlier, these houses took 18 months to be built, now less than 12 months. UPA would need another 25 years to match up to the number of houses we have built. Under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, houses are registered in the name of the eldest woman in the house.”

He said that the government will be providing houses with bathrooms, electricity and gas connections. He also added that he had planned these schemes keeping the future in mind.

“We didn’t make Narendra Modi Awas Yojana, we didn’t make NaMo Awas Yojana, we didn’t make Raghubar Das Awas Yojana, we made Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana so that the next PM can take the work forward,” said Modi.