After agriculture, textiles generate most employment: Modi in Varanasi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of a trade facilitation centre for weavers in Varanasi on Friday, during his first visit to his Lok Sabha constituency since he took charge as the Prime Minister. The trade facilitation centre is located outside Kashi. “Varanasi has a very special place in my heart. Varanasi has made me their own. I am here in the midst of my own,” Modi said addressing weavers. He said he intended to visit Varanasi earlier, but had to go to Andhra Pradesh due to Cyclone Hudhud. [caption id=“attachment_1791745” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Prime Minister Narendra Modi will spend a day in the constituency, Reuters[/caption] The project is aimed at the upliftment of weavers whose plight had been repeatedly highlighted in election speeches by Modi who had vowed to take steps for their betterment. Modi said after agriculture, textiles is the sector generating maximum employment. “This sector gives employment to poorest of the poor. All sections of society are integrated in this sector,” he said. He also said that the government is focusing on the development of the eastern part of India as the region is very important for the development of the country. Meanwhile, security in the city has been on high alert. According to Inspector General of Police Ashok Jain, 12 SP rank police officials of Uttar Pradesh, 18 Additional SPs, 20 Deputy SPs, 135 sub-inspectors, besides more than 1000 personnel of the Provincial Armed Constabulary have been deployed. The Special Protection Group which is responsible for the Prime Minister’s security was assisted by officials and personnel of the Uttar Pradesh police. The Prime Minister’s visit, which is likely to last a little over 24 hours, has sent soaring the hope of a better future among residents of the holy town, which has been facing crumbling infrastructure and lack of basic amenities. Among the oldest cities in the world, Varanasi has been constantly in the spotlight ever since Modi chose to retain the constituency he had won by a huge margin of 3.7 lakh votes, vacating Vadodara in his home state of Gujarat where his victory (by 5.7 lakh votes) was even bigger. Soon after the BJP won the Lok Sabha elections in May, Modi had visited the city and offered prayers at Kashi Vishwanath Mandir and taken part in Ganga Aarti. Modi will also inaugurate a powerloom centre and will also discuss plans for development of Varanasi, and assign responsibilities in this regard, party sources said. He will visit Jayapur village on Friday and address people there and may even announce its adoption under the MP Model Village Scheme, said Sanjay Bhardwaj, media in-charge of Modi’s constituency as well as Poorvanchal (Eastern UP) region. Local BJP leaders are upbeat over the first visit of the Prime Minister, who won the Lok Sabha seat by the highest margin ever recorded for this constituency. The Prime Minister, who had expressed his intention to transform the country “from scam India to skill India” - alluding to the numerous corruption allegations which the previous UPA government found itself mired in and pointing towards the need to encourage entrepreneurship - is also likely to inaugurate a skill development centre based on the Public Private Partnership model. Modi will take part in several programmess during his visit to the temple town, said Bhardwaj, adding the PM will stay overnight at a guest house. Earlier, the Prime Minister was expected to visit Varanasi on October 14 and 15 but it was postponed due to cyclone Hudhud. Meanwhile, a planned inauguration of a trauma centre at BHU by the Prime Minister has been postponed at the request of the University administration as work is still on there. “The centre is not fully ready. It will be inaugurated during another visit of PM when it becomes fully functional,” Director of IMS-BHU, Rana Gopal Singh, said. With inputs from PTI