Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi heralded the arrival on Monday of Urja Ganga, a Rs 12,940 crore energy lifeline that promises to change people's lives in Varanasi by piping clean fuel to their homes and transforming the economic architecture of eastern-India.
The Rs 1,000 crore Varanasi city gas project, the first such offshoot of Urja Ganga to come up in the region, is part of Modi's Rs 5,000 crore Diwali gift hamper made up of seven projects for his constituency.
"Experiences in the past have shown that one government lays the foundation and it is left for the second or third government to inaugurate the project. But we are a government that believes in laying the foundation as well as inaugurating projects," Modi told a public rally after laying the foundation of the city gas project being implemented by state-run gas utility GAIL.
Modi said schemes were not meant for mere announcement for publicity. "They have to make a difference to people's lives. We have to bring a culture where projects are completed on time and within budget," he said.
The PM also said he is committed to bringing clean fuel to every household still using firewood as cooking fuel to save women from the ills of smoke, "which is equal to smoking 400 cigarettes".
Modi said Urja Ganga will also bring city gas projects in seven cities spanning Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand and Bengal and help clean up air for future generations by converting vehicles to CNG.
Besides, it will help revive several fertiliser plants in the region. The PM dedicated to the nation a Rs 2,500 crore PowerGrid substation to wheel more power from surplus regions to Varanasi and rest of UP.
This was Modi's eighth tour of his constituency since he assumed office in May, 2016. Four of these have taken place this year itself.
