Barkachha Kala (Mirzapur), March 4 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that Uttar Pradesh continuously needed a nationalist and honest government, which could work tirelessly for the development of the state. Seeking votes for the candidates of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its alliance partners in the UP elections A a Dal and Nishad Party, PM said here on Friday people have voted for the NDA in the last six phases for development in UP and that they must ensure to defeat the dynastic forces contesting the elections in a big way in the seventh phase as well. PM Modi said Mirzapur decides the time of India as India’s standard time line passes through the district, adding that without the development of Mirzapur and UP, India’s empowerment cannot be imagined. Elaborating on India’s growing strength under NDA Government, PM said: “India has emerged stronger with its efforts amid formidable challenges like the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and looming threats of war facing the world at large. During Covid, we brought our citizens home from different parts of the world through Vande Bharat mission. Similarly, we evacuated stranded citizens from Afghanistan through Operation Daivi Shakti. And currently we are continuously evacuating stranded citizens, including a large number of students, from Ukraine through Operation Ganga Mission. We have already brought back thousands of students from the country.” Modi marked: “It’s the time for you to te and vote for a strong UP and powerful India, rejecting the divisive politics of the dynasts. These dynasts’ history is completely tainted with scams worth thousands of crores. They have plundered state wealth, freed terrorists, helped rioters and have protected criminals.” He added: “They know only one thing and that is to divide the society to come to power and then loot UP. Hard work is not in their dictionary. They have no time to help the poor the deprived. They cannot empower the country.” PM Modi said while the whole world was brought to its knees by the pandemic, India has been providing free ration to 80 crore people for the last couple of years at the cost of Rs 2.60 lakh crore, in addition to free vaccines which even developed countries had failed to do. PM Modi said the Government has directly transferred Rs 20,000 crore and Rs 1.25 lakh crore to women and small farmers’ accounts respectively, adding that farmers of Mirzapur and Bhadohi have received Rs 400 crore and Rs 250 crore respectively. He said the Government accorded to top priority to the well-being of the poor and needy people. He remarked further: “The Central Government is sending the money for people’s welfare to the Yogi Government, which is ensuring that every single penny of the amount reaches them directly without the involvement of middlemen. Several years ago, an opposition leader had admitted that only 0.15 paise of Re 1 sanctioned by the Central Government reached the poor. PM Modi pointed out that prior to 2017, the then government built 800 houses under PM Awas Yojana whereas “Yogiji has built 28,000 houses of the 40,000 houses approved in Mirzapur. He said the poor governance by dynasts made the poor people and women to suffer the most as they were deprived of the benefits of welfare schemes. Modi said with building of houses, businesses have also picked up especially of those dealing in building materials. “The previous governments neglected weavers and crafstpersons. We have programmes to hone their skills while we also provide easy loans through Mudra Yojana. Sufficient power supply by Yogi Government is helping people engaged in the carpet industry of Bhadohi and weavers. The PM said the widening of roads beween Mirzapur and Kashi as well as construction of Vindhya Corridor will accelerate development of Mirzapur and its adjoining areas in future. Speaking on the occasion Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath thanked PM Modi for his efforts to provide safe drinking water to every house of Vindhya region with Har Ghar Nal Yojana and for opening a medical college in Mirzapur and for having begun construction of two medical colleges in Bhadohi and Sonbhadra as part of the Government’s plan to build one medical college each in every district of UP. Yogi said: “Soon every house will get safe drinking water through taps in Vindhya region. It’s time to teach all those parties a lesson through your votes who could not provide you drinking water despite being in power for decades since independence.” He added, “Mirzapur is endowed with rich natural resources. But, it was handed to over to the mafia by previous governments who looted the state’s wealth. Don’t allow yourselves to be exploited by those responsible for criminalisation of politics.” MB SY 1751