After inaugurating the ‘Barisu Kannada Dim Dima’ cultural festival here, he said, “There was a time when people in Karnataka used to send it to stay in the government.” Today the country’s money and resources are sincerely invested in the development of Karnataka.
The prime minister said the state received Rs 11,000 crore every year between 2009 and 2014, when the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) was in power at the Centre. He said that this money has increased to Rs 30,000 crore in this government. Modi said around Rs 6,000 crore was spent on construction of highways in the state in five years before he came to power, whereas in this government, Rs 5,000 crore has been spent every year in the last nine years. He said that the face of Karnataka is changing rapidly due to the pace of development.
Assembly elections are likely to be held in Karnataka in May this year and the BJP is trying its best to retain power in the southern state.
The Prime Minister said that while his government has restored ancient temples and cultural landscape, the country has also become a global leader in payments. Modi said that his government is going through files and bringing back masterpieces, while record Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is coming into the country. Appreciating Karnataka’s contribution to nation-building, he paid tributes to stalwarts from various fields in the state.
The event was organized under the aegis of Amrit Utsav. Modi said on the occasion that India’s identity, traditions cannot be defined without the contribution of Karnataka. He said that the people of Karnataka have always lived by the mantra of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’.
Modi said the present government is fulfilling the long-pending demand of the Bhadra project and most of it is rapidly changing the face of Karnataka.
He said that some films have greatly popularized Kannada culture among non-Kannadiga audiences and aroused curiosity to know more about Karnataka.
Basavaraj Bommai of Karnataka, Union Minister Prahlad Joshi and many other BJP leaders were present at the function. Bommai said the state is rich in natural resources, culture and technology and will play a big role in realizing the Prime Minister’s dream of making India a five trillion dollar economy. He said that Karnataka would contribute one thousand billion dollars to the country’s industry in the coming years.
Shriman also invited Modi to the All India World Kannada Literature Conference to be held in Devanagari district next year.
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PM Modi playing drums while inaugurating a cultural festival in Delhi