Development Varanasi, Advantage Modi?
On the face of it, none can deny that Varanasi has seen development, but locals say that the lanes and by-lanes – where the real Varanasi lies – have seen little to write home about.
VARANASI: It was a special ride for Ashnav Prakash as he rode his bike from the DIG colony in Varanasi on the newly laid four-lane 17.6 kilometre Babatpur-Varanasi highway.
For Prakash, a management aspirant, the transformation of the road, once full of potholes, is reflective of the transformation that has taken place in and around Varanasi in the last four-and-ahalf years.
“This road is touted as the gateway to Varanasi, as it connects Varanasi to the Lal Bahadur Shashtri International Airport, Babatpur. It showcases the fastemerging Brand Banaras to all those, including foreigners, who travel this road to reach Varanasi,” Prakash said.
He says he doesn’t have any political inclination but supports Prime Minister Narendra Modi because he brought a number of development projects to Varanasi and ensured that they were completed on time.
His friend, Suraj Mishra, is equally taken up by the development of Varanasi. “PM Modi has not only focused on improving roads, but he paid attention to improve the overall infrastructure in and around Varanasi. The Multi-Modal Terminal and the Trade Facilitation Centre are perfect examples of it,” Mishra says. He also mentions the heritage lights installed across Varanasi as part of a beautification project in the city.
On November 12, Modi dedicated development projects worth ₹2,413 crore, including two road projects with a total length of 34 kilometres at a cost of Rs 1571.95 crore.
Later, addressing a rally, Modi said, “Today, the country and Varanasi have witnessed that when development projects are completed on time, it makes for a grand picture,” Modi said and mentioned almost all development projects – from roads to sewage treatment plants (STPs), from next generation infrastructure to transport facilities, from the under-construction City Convention Centre gifted by the Japanese premier to Kashi to the city command and control centre for smooth traffic management, from underground cabling work to the perishable cargo centre and trade facilitation centre, all in the last four-and-ahalf years.
Prof Kashal Kishore Mishra, who teaches politics at Banaras Hindu University, says, “The Gujarat model has become obsolete. Modi is aware of that fact. He has tried his best to create a new model of development by ensuring development in Varanasi. With the completion of a slew of development projects, the Varanasi model of development is ready.”
Mishra is confident that Modi will present the Varanasi model before the nation during General Election 2019. A strong reason for going to the public with the Varanasi model is that Varanasi appeals not only to Uttar Pradesh, but also to the nation, while its international appeal cannot be denied.
For many locals like Suresh Gupta, Kashi’s transformation in the last fourand-a-half years is more than visible in the improvement of roads, ghats, hospitals, primary schools, universities and others.
However, social activist Nand Lal Master, who belongs to PM Modi’s adopted village, Nagepur, doesn’t see any massive change in the city.
“This is just a tall claim that there has been all-round development in Varanasi in the last four-and-a-half years. There has been just a bit of improvement in potable water supply and electricity. Potholes on many roads have merely been patched up, while the Sigra-Mahmurganj road is still potholed and broken in stretches. No different is the condition of the Girijaghar Chauraha-Bhelupur road,” Master says.
Sanitation has improved, but the condition
of narrow lanes, which attract foreign tourists the most, is yet to change, he feels.
Thirty-four major roads were selected for repair under the Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY), launched by Modi in January 2015 and ₹100 crore was sanctioned for the refurbishment of the Town Hall, 81 heritage sites, beautification of Durgakund, installation of heritage lights and development of seven parks in the Asi Ghat area.
Divisional commissioner Deepak Agarwal says, “Most of the roads have already been repaired. The rest will be ready by the end of November or the first week of December. Officials of the department concerned have been instructed to ensure that work is completed within the deadline.”
The poor drainage system is another problem which troubles locals. “Drains overflow in our lane as the drainage system is very old. We approached the municipal authorities to find a permanent solution to the problem, but nothing has happened so far,” says Bablu Mishra adding other lanes in the Jangambadi area are facing similar problems.