Ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched and laid foundation stones of various development projects in Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh on Sunday.
The development projects were worth INR 75.5 billion ($910 million).
He also disbursed monthly grants of INR 1,500 ($18) to nearly 200,000 women beneficiaries under the state's 'Aahar Anudan Yojana' programme. Under the scheme, women — especially from the backward tribes — are paid this amount monthly to help them buy food.
The prime minister also distributed 175,000 “adhikar abhilekh” (record of land rights) under the SVAMITVA scheme, which will provide documentary evidence to people of the right to their land.
The foundation stone of the Tantya Mama Bhil University was also laid by the prime minister. The university will allow youth from tribal-dominated districts of the state to study.
He also addressed a rally where he trained his guns on the Congress Party, saying that Madhya Pradesh has seen two different phases in the past years – one has been the era of twin-engine government while the other is the dark era of Congress rule.
“Young people may not even remember that today Madhya Pradesh, which is running fast on the path of development, was counted among the under-developed states of the country before the BJP government,” Modi stated.
While addressing the rally, he highlighted the development work undertaken by the BJP government in the state as well as country.