Smriti Irani likely to gift projects to Amethi during thanksgiving visit

A month after defeating Congress president Rahul Gandhi in his pocket borough Amethi, Union minister Smriti Irani is set to make a two-day thanksgiving visit to all the five assembly segments of her constituency from Saturday.

This is her first planned visit to Amethi since she won the election on May 23. Earlier on May 25, Irani had dashed to Amethi after the killing of one of her aides Surendra Singh in Baraulia village of the district.

Besides thanksgiving, Irani is expected to announce some key schemes aimed at ensuring basic amenities in the constituency. She is also likely to visit a cow shelter home in Musafirkhana.

Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, minister in-charge of Amethi Mohsin Raza and Jagdishpur (in Amethi) MLA Suresh Pasi are expected to accompany her.

As Maurya, who is also the state PWD minister, is accompanying Irani, several road projects may be announced or unveiled. That Amethi would figure high on Yogi Adityanath government’s agenda was apparent when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in UP conceded the much-awaited demand of affiliation to Amethi degree colleges from Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University, Faizabad.

“The affiliation of Amethi degree colleges was always with RML University, Faizabad, but it was only recently that the Yogi government’s cabinet cleared the confusion by officially restoring the status of these degree colleges with RML University,” an official said.

In November 2018, while Maurya had announced road projects worth Rs 136 crore for Amethi, Shrikant Sharma had announced power projects worth Rs 448 crore for the constituency.

Irani had earlier written to Sharma and other ministers seeking their cooperation in Amethi’s development.

A local Congress leader said, “Back then, the BJP had consistently charged Rahul Gandhi with failing to give attention to Amethi’s development. The charge struck a chord and Amethi voted for her. Now, it’s her turn to prove that she can deliver.” Ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Irani had cited how Amethi had developed under BJP governments at the Centre and in state.

“Your local MP never cared about Amethi but under Modi and Yogi governments, 1.40 lakh people of the constituency have benefited under Ujjawala free gas connection scheme. There are another 1.25 lakh beneficiaries under Ayushman Bharat that provides for illness cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per annum,” she had said just ahead of the March 3 rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Amethi.

PM Modi had also announced that world-famous Kalashnikov assault rifles of the new 200 series, a joint venture of IndoRussian Rifles Pvt Ltd, would be manufactured in Amethi.

First Published: Jun 21, 2019 13:08 IST