Left to lurch, Lilapur misses Modi of 2001

Ahmedabad: As the first village Narendra Modi visited after becoming Gujarat chief minister in October 2001, Lilapur hoped of halcyon days ahead. In 2012, the script has changed albeit to ruins and not to riches. Accompanied by then revenue minister Haren Pandya, Modi assured the villagers of improved infrastructure besides upliftment of its people. However, a Times of India report showed that Lilapur has actually turned out to be a classic example of ministerial neglect.[caption id=“attachment_501004” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. PTI [/caption] For the last nine years, the village roads were never maintained and the education system had gone for a toss. Since 1995, the village has produced a single graduate, the report said. “We have good approach roads to the village but for some reason, for the past nine years, after gutter lines were laid, our internal roads were never repaired,” panchayat member Girish Barot told Times of India . Pandya was assassinated in 2003.