Bhubaneswar, June 20 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday congratulated Mohan Charan Manjhi-led government and the people of Odisha on the completion of one year of BJP government in the state and explained how the new dispensation ushered in a new era of growth, unlike previous regimes which ignored the residents and focused only on enriching themselves.

PM Modi, addressing the public gathering after a grand roadshow to mark first anniversary of the BJP government, said that the double-engine government was bringing double benefits to the coastal state and also elaborated on two key Central schemes – brought with the primary objective of improving the living standards of tribal population.

“June 20 is a very special day. Today, the first BJP government in Odisha has successfully completed one year. This anniversary is not just of the government; it is the anniversary of the establishment of good governance. This one year is dedicated to public service and public trust. This is a glorious year of honest efforts to live up to the trust of crores of voters of Odisha,” PM Modi said.

PM Modi also spoke about his Canada visit for G-7 Summit and said that he chose Odisha over America.

“When I was in Canada, I received a call from President Trump. He invited for dinner while returning home. I declined his invite and told him that it was important for me to visit the sacred land of Odisha and pay obeisance to Lord Jagannath,” PM Modi told the crowd, eliciting loud cheers.

Elaborating on the double benefits under the double-engine government, PM Modi said: “People of the state were long deprived of many health schemes — today they are availing benefits of Ayushman Bharat Yojana as well as Jan Aarogya Yojana. More than 23 lakh senior citizens above the age of 70 years, they are also drawing benefits under Ayushman Vay Vandana Yojana.”

PM Modi said that the nation has seen the Congress model for years, which offered nothing other than corruption, policy paralysis, the sprouting of middlemen but in BJP-ruled states, a new model of growth took shape, which is oriented towards public welfare.

He also cited the model of Assam and Tripura, elucidating how the two states suffered during previous regimes but their fate and growth prospects changed after the BJP came to power there.

PM Modi further said that prior to 2014, tribal communities neither got development nor participation in governance. The country had more than 125 tribal areas, all affected by the Maoist violence but instead of finding a solution, previous governments only sought to discredit them by labelling them as ‘Maoist-affected’.

PM Modi vowed to defeat LWE and said that hopes and dreams of tribal population will be brought to fruition.

“Two national schemes have been launched to bring all-round development of the backward as well as the tribal population and they will immensely benefit the residents here,” PM Modi remarked.

–IANS

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