Puri visits Amritsar village, 2nd time in week to woo Dalits
Announcements include free LPG connection to 123 families , a 4km road, streetlights and LEDs along the road and a shed in the village grain market
AMRITSAR : Paying his third visit to the state in less than a month and the second in a week to Mudhal village in Amritsar, on Thursday, Union minister of state (independent charge) for housing and urban affairs Hardeep Singh Puri announced various projects for the village.
The visits to the village, where the Dalits are in the majority, are part of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) national programme that aims to restore the faith of the community. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had issued directions in this regard.
“Last Thursday, I spent a night in the village to know the problems of the Dalits. Now, after consultation with state BJP chief, Shwait Malik, I have decided to give free gas connections to 123 families in the village,” he told the media.
He added a 4-km road in the village will also be laid in next two months.
“There will be streetlights and LEDs along the road. A shed will also be built in the grain market,” he added.
On speculation that the BJP high command was trying to find a Sikh face in Punjab ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Puri added, “I am visiting Punjab only to take care of Mudhal village as per the assignment from the PM. I am a Rajya Sabha MP and am not thinking about contesting election from the Amritsar seat in 2019.” He praised the leadership of state BJP chief, Malik.
“At recent party rallies, we had huge gatherings. In 2019, Punjab will support the party,” he added.