Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

NDA rule raises India's profile: Advani

By Our Staff Reporter

NELLORE OCT. 27. The Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, has said the four-year-old rule of the NDA has given the citizens of the country a feeling of self-confidence and the respect for India has gone up abroad. Addressing a public meeting at Kakutur, 12 km from here on Monday, after inaugurating the widening to four-lane of a section of Tada--Nellore stretch of NH-5, Mr. Advani regretted that even after five decades of freedom, several areas of the country had no drinking water and health facility and lacked basic infrastructure. The reason, he said, was that the country though got `Swarajya' (independence), was yet to get `Surajya' (good governance). He said the BJP had, during the rath yatra of 1997, coinciding with the golden jubilee of Independence, made some promises and a year later, it was voted to power. Since then the NDA Government had been striving to improve the basic infrastructure of the country. He recalled that the concept of `Ram Rajya' was not of the BJP, but the strong belief of Mahatma Gandhi. Ram Rajya without Swarajya, was of no use, he said.

Mr. Advani assured the people that by the year 2020, the country would be developed on par with the developed countries of the world.

Referring to widening of the national highway, Mr. Advani said building of roads, was an `amazing thing' and said `India was changing fast'. The Government was also aware that it was the farmer who badly needed timely loan and assistance. Mr. Advani said the `mood of the country is towards self-confidence'. He recalled how Aurobindo Ghosh visualised India as a `Viswa Guru' and was confident that the goal would be achieved by the year 2020.

Mr. Advani had no doubt that ushering in of Ram Rajya would transform the country into a `Swarna Bharat'.

Mr. Advani distributed assets worth Rs. 24.43 crores, besides kisan credit cards on the occasion. He laid the foundation stone for Krishi Vigyan Kendra, announced the upgradation of the FCI net work, handed over assistance for housing scheme for beedi workers, laid the foundation stone for Venakatachalam-Kasumur road, besides inaugurating Padmasri B.V. Rao Hospital on the Swarna Bharati premises.

The BJP president, M. Venkaiah Naidu, said the thrust of the NDA Government was on development and it was his desire to launch a number of schemes in Nellore district, to be beneficial to vast majority of people. He said a Govt. junior college was sanctioned for Venkatachalam, near Nellore, for which Mallela Ramaiah, a retired UN official, donated Rs. 60 lakhs from his pension benefits.

The Union Agriculture Minister, Rajnath Singh, said the country would prosper only when the farmer was free from financial difficulties. The Union Surface Transport Minister, B.C. Khanduri, said Andhra Pradesh had been a big beneficiary in respect of development of roads, from Central sector.

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