Prime Minister Modi lists Budget steps for Uttarakhand border areas

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who addressed rallies in Almora in Uttarakhand and Kasganj in Uttar Pradesh, said the vibrant villages programme has been introduced in this year's budget keeping in mind the requirements of all bordering areas, including those in Uttarakhand. He attacked the "divisive policies" of the Congress and said that the SP has realised that its "ship is about to sink" in UP.

He said the programmes for villages would boost tourism and stop migration, besides providing infrastructure development in the border villages of Uttarakhand. Bridges and ropeways would be built, especially in the border areas which will be of great use for the people and for the security personnel.

"We have to take the development of Uttarakhand to Himalayan heights. Like Kedarnath, where development has been given a new impetus, the Manaskhand tourism circuit is to be developed in Kumaon on a priority basis over the next five years," he said.


Polling in Uttarakhand will be held in a single phase on February 14 for the 70-member state assembly.

Attacking the opposition Congress in the state, Modi said it has a "divisive policy" and said that development is possible only through a non-discriminatory approach.

"They believe in dividing people along caste, religion, region and linguistic lines. Their only formula is 'sab mein dalo phoot, mil kar karo loot' (divide everyone and loot together)," he told the gathering.

Recalling his last visit to the Kumaon region, Modi said he had laid foundation stones for projects worth more than ₹17,000 crore and said that work on the long-awaited Jamrani dam project will start soon.

In UP's Kasganj, which will poll in phase-3 on February 20, the PM said that opposition leaders in UP have started finding fault with the EVMs and accusing the EC as they know that "their ship is about to sink". "The trends that have come in say that in the first phase, BJP is emerging victorious. After Thursday afternoon, all interviews by the leaders appear solemn. Now they are openly talking about parivaar."