BILASPUR: Prime Minister Narender Modi on launch of AIIMS Bilaspur and the Hydroengineering college, Bandla  said Himachal will get a new push in medical tourism as it has world class medical infrastructure including medical device park to fit the bill for tourists from across the world.

Much to the thundering applause of the crowd, Modi picked up a Heeranshinga and blew it in a gesture of Vijay Dashmi before he addressed the public meeting, signifying a "victory of good over evil that Dussehra is all about" and sounding a poll bugle for the coming Himachal Vidhan Sabha polls.   

Prime Minister also laid foundation stone for the Pinjore-Baddi-Nalagarh fourlane highway that will give hassle-free access to BBN Industrial corridor to investors and public. 

He also laid foundation of the Medical device park that will rope in massive investment to Himachal. 

 Addressing the massive public gathering at Lohnu along the Gobind Sagar in Bilaspur after the launch, Modi said AIIMS Bilaspur, seven  medical colleges have brought top health care for the people at the door step.

At the same time it would give a big boost for the medical tourism as Himachal is blessed with herbs and medicines and green environment, Prime Minister said.

Though Prime Minister in his speech did not make any announcements, but he camouflaged his attack against the opposition saying they stalled projects- Railways in Una and laid foundation stones only to be dumped into anonymity.

Modi did not make a reference to Privarvaad or corruption, nor did he name any opposition leader or party in his speech. Modi cleanly made mention of what the "double engine state and central governments mean and can do for public as far as development is concerned".   

Modi targeted women and public in general appealing them to use the power of their vote for the double engine government that worked and delivered projects like AIIMS, Atal tunnel, Medical device park, cent per cent Covid vaccination to Himachal for the secure future of their children and generation next.      

Modi said Dev Bhoomi and Veerbhumi have become a land of opportunities in health, education and Rojgar for a secure future of its children and generation next.  

Modi patted back of Chief Minister and his team for landing all the central government schemes on the ground zero in Himachal Pradesh.

“These projects- Atal Tunnel, Ayushman Bharat, AIIMs, vaccination, Grihinia surakhsa yojana, highway and railways projects,  social security schemes and others- could be possible due to the double engine government as the Jai Ram Thakur and his team expedited efforts on the ground”, Prime Minister said.  

Modi said  he initiated projects worth Rs 3870 Crore including AIIMS and Hydroengineering college to  people of Himachal.  AIIMS Bilaspur will be a green AIIMS, he added.

Together with four medical colleges, along with IGMC and Tanda medical college, and new Medical Device Park at Nalagarh will go a long way in promoting Himachal as a new hub of medical tourism in India, Modi said.    

Modi said it is after many years that he will get an opportunity to participate in the Lord Raghunath Yatra at Dhalpur Maidan for Vijay Dashmi festivities of Kullu Dussehra. He will seek blessing for entire nation from the Devis and Devtas, he added.

To catch fancy of the crowds, Modi recalled how he used to walk in the streets of Bilaspur along with Prof P K Dhumal, Jagat Prakash Nadda when they used to come to Bilaspur for various programmes.

He said there was a mindset that all institutions, hospitals would be around Delhi, but now there is  a dramatic shift.

“It was due to this mindset that the big part of India remained backward”, he said. “But this mindset has been left behind”, he added.

The big projects outside the big cities have laid the  foundation for the future of children and next generation, Modi said.

Referring to the speeches made by Jai Ram Thakur, Jagat Prakash Nadda and Anurag Singh Thakur earlier, Modi said they gave credit to Modi, but in true sense. But when you will ask me, it is all due to the people of the state who voted us  in power.

Prime Minister took turns to prove that he has special place for people of Himachal.  It is power of their vote that development has taken place in Himachal, he added.   

Modi said Himachal has been selected for the medical device park among four states in India. The medical device park in Nalagarh will bring in huge investment and generate small units and employment for the youth in the peripheries, he said.

Prime Minister said Digital India has benefitted Himachal as well. “We are working on seamless connectivity to provide free treatment to the people. Rs 45000 crore is being spent under Ayushman bharat for poor and  middle class families, he said.

Himachal is land of opportunities. Rs 50,000 Crore is being spent on  connectivity. “We have launched 5 G services in India and Himachal is  reaping  harvest of Digital India”, he said.

Himachal has put in place its Drone policy which will help transport crops bring them to markets, he added.

Prime Minister inspected Hospital Block, CT Scan Centre and Emergency and Trauma area of the AIIMS. The AIIMS authorities also made a demonstration of the 3D Model of AIIMS before the Prime Minister. 

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said State would always remain indebted to the love and benevolence showered by the Prime Minister to the State.

He said that providing AIIMS to a small State like Himachal Pradesh with only 70 lakh population shows the concern of the Prime Minister towards development of the State and welfare of the people of Himachal Pradesh.

He also thanked the Prime Minister for dedicating developmental projects worth Rs. 3653 crore for the State today.

He also thanked the Prime Minister for always being concerned towards the developmental needs and aspirations of the State and its people.

Jai Ram Thakur cited various works of the State Government which has almost complete its five years tenure.

He said that developmental projects worth Rs. 10,000 crore were sanctioned for the State during this period by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said that these projects would go a long way in giving a boost to development of the State.

Chief Minister expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for providing Bulk Drug Park for the State.

He said that this Park would be spread over 1,405 acres in Haroli and would prove a game changer for the people of the region. 

He said that the expected investment in this park was about Rs. 50,000 crore and would provide direct employment to over 30,000 persons.

He said that 90 per cent of the project cost with the maximum limit of Rs. 1000 crore would be provided by the Government of India. 

Member of Parliament and National BJP President Jagat Prakash Nadda said that setting up of AIIMS outside Delhi was a vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as first AIIMS was established in Delhi way back in 1960.

He said that the foundation stone of this institution was laid about four years back by the Prime Minister and despite the pandemic this ambitious project was completed in a record time.

Nadda said  Hydro Engineering College at Bandla in Bilaspur was also a big gift of the Prime Minister to the State.

He said that the Kol Dam Project was also started during the tenure of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and dedicated to the State by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Nadda said that work on the Luhri Project could also be started only after the BJP came to power at the Centre. He said that Atal Tunnel was also a gift of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the people of the State.

Nadda claimed that Congress Government always ignored interests of the State, whereas the status of special category state was restored by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.  

He said that the 90:10 ratio for Central-State share for centrally sponsored projects was also restored during the tenure of the BJP.

Nadda said that Hatti Community of Sirmour district was also accorded tribal status by the Prime Minister and with this their long pending demand was fulfilled.

He also thanked the Prime Minister for  giving the State adequate representation in the Government as well as in organization that has empowered common Himachali.  

Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur Himachal Pradesh has been fortunate to always have benevolence of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He said that it was the strong leadership provided by the Prime Minister that India was today emerging as a world power.

Thakur said that administering over 200 crore vaccine dosages free of cost to the people of the country against corona vaccine and free ration to 80 crore people for 28 months during the pandemic and providing PM Kissan Samman Niddhi of Rs. 6000 per annum to the farmers of the country was only possible due to dynamic leadership of Narendra Modi.

HImachal Governor  Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar was also present on the stage along with MPs and state president Suresh Kashyap, Indu Goswami and Kishan Kapur.