In Bilaspur, PM Modi announces Rs 15,000 crore poll bonanza for Himachal Pradesh, lays foundation stones for AIIMS, IIIT

Modi laid the foundation stone for the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Bilaspur. (ANI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday visited Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh laid the foundation stone for an AIIMS and an IIIT besides inaugurating a steel plant. Modi laid the foundation stone for the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Bilaspur. As per a PMO statement, the 750-bed hospital is to be built at a cost of about Rs 1350 crore and will, in addition to healthcare, provide medical education at the under-graduate and post-graduate level, besides nursing. The prime minister also laid the foundation stone for an Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) at Una.

Addressing a public meeting, Modi said that coming of AIIMS to Himachal Pradesh has wide ranging benefits for people. “Tourists come here from far off places. If they get access to AIIMS and get treated well, they will want to come here frequently,” PM Modi said. This AIIMS has not only come as lifeline for the people of Himachal but also a boost to the tourism sector here, he added. “The AIIMS campus will also boost employment opportunities in this region,” he added.

Speaking on the IIIT, Modi said , “We are laying the foundations of a futuristic Himachal Pradesh. This will benefit the people of the state,” PM said. “There are 13 development projects in Himachal Pradesh for which Central Govt will invest Rs 15,000 Crore,” PM Modi said in Bilaspur.

Modi also attacked ruling Congress government and said thatthe state is run by ‘Jamanati Sarkar’. “What Himachal Pradesh is seeing now is a ‘Zamanati Sarkar’. People of this state do not deserve such a government,” PM said. He said that state of Himachal is in dire need of development. “Over 4 crore families still do not have access to electricity. Through Saubhagya Yojana we want to ensure power for them,” Modi said. “Earlier there used to be only news about scams & corruption. Since we came to power, there has been no news of corruption,” PM said. Modi is also scheduled to inaugurate a Steel Processing Unit of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), at Kandrori in Kangra, the PMO statement had said.