Itanagar, 22 Sept

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday alleged that the Congress has an "inherent habit" of abandoning any development work that is difficult, and this caused significant harm to the Northeast.

Addressing a rally at Indira Gandhi Park in Itanagar after unveiling development projects worth over Rs 5,100 crore, Modi hailed the GST reforms, stating that people would receive a "double bonanza" this festive season with the lower rates coming into effect on the first day of Navratri.

The PM said he knew that the Northeast couldn't be developed from Delhi, and so, he sent ministers and officers more frequently to the region, and he came here more than 70 times.

"One inherent habit of Congress is that they never take up development work which is difficult to do; they abandon it. This habit of Congress caused significant harm to Arunachal Pradesh and the entire Northeast. In the hilly and forested areas, where development work was challenging, Congress would declare the regions backward and simply forget them," he claimed.

Modi said areas once considered impossible for building roads now have modern highways.

"The Sela tunnel, which was once unthinkable, is now a proud identity of Arunachal. The Hollongi airport has a new terminal and has flights connecting directly to Delhi. This has eased travel for students and tourists and also helps farmers to send their produce to big markets," he said.

The PM claimed that the Congress overlooked Arunachal Pradesh, as it has only two Lok Sabha seats.

"When I was given the opportunity to serve the nation in 2014, I resolved to free the country from the mindset of Congress. Our guiding principle is not the number of votes or seats in any state, but 'nation first'. Our only mantra is 'nagrik devo bhava' (the citizen is God)," he said.

"Modi worships those whom no one has ever asked about. That is why Arunachal Pradesh, which was neglected during Congress rule, has since 2014 become a centre of developmental priority," he added.

The PM said the projects he unveiled were an example of "double benefits" of the "double-engine" government.

"Arunachal is moving forward. The new power projects announced today will make the state a major power producer, create thousands of jobs, and provide affordable electricity," he said.

"Be it ease of education, ease of business, ease of travel, or ease of treatment, our double-engine government is working to make life easier for every citizen," he said.

The PM laid the foundation stones for two major hydropower projects over the Yarjep river in the Shi Yomi district, and a convention centre in Tawang.

The Tato-I project, with a capacity of 186 mw, will be developed jointly by the Arunachal Pradesh government and the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO) at Rs 1,750 crore. It is expected to generate around 802 million units of electricity annually.

The 240-mw Heo project will also be developed by the state government and NEEPCO at Rs 1,939 crore. It is expected to produce 1,000 million units of electricity each year.

The PM said India has set a target to build 500 gw of renewable energy capacity by 2030.

The convention centre in Tawang, for which he laid the foundation stone, will be built under the PM-DevINE scheme at Rs 145.37 crore. It will have a capacity to host over 1,500 people, and boost the tourism and cultural potential of the region.

Modi also launched several other infrastructure projects worth over Rs 1,290 crore, catering to various sectors, including connectivity, healthcare and fire safety.

He said the Northeast is no longer distant for the government in Delhi, and central ministers have visited the region over 800 times in the last decade, often staying overnight in remote areas.

"As the prime minister, I have come to the Northeast more than 70 times. Just last week, I was in Mizoram, Manipur and Assam. The Northeast is no longer distant, neither by road nor by heart. Delhi is no longer far from you. We have brought Delhi to your doorstep," he said.

He said the state, which witnesses the country's first sunrise, is now also receiving the "first rays of development" after decades of neglect.

Asserting that every person in the state is a symbol of bravery and unity, Modi said, "Just like the first colour of the Tricolour is saffron, the first colour of Arunachal too is saffron as it sees the first sunrise."

Modi alleged the border villages were neglected by successive Congress governments, leading to the migration of people from these areas.

The PM also announced that heliports will be developed in remote areas of the state under the UDAAN scheme.

He said that his visit coincided with three important occasions -- the beginning of Navratri, the rollout of GST reforms, and the unveiling of the development projects.