VARANASI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday gifted projects worth Rs 614 crore to his parliamentary constituency of Varanasi four days ahead of Diwali, and urged people to go ‘Local for Diwali’ to give a boost to the economy and show the way in attaining ‘atmanirbharta’ (self-reliance), reports Rajeev Dikshit.
Addressing people of his constituency through video-conferencing, Modi said, “Kashi now needs to show the way to help attain ‘atmanirbharta’... I appeal to the people of Varanasi and all countrymen to promote ‘Local for Diwali’ this year.”
“Going for local doesn’t mean just buying the clay ‘diyas’ but everything you use in Diwali,” he said, and in a lighter vein, added, “By appealing to go local, I am not asking you to dump previously purchased products or stop buying those articles, which are not produced in the country.”