Freebie culture dangerous for country: Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called freebies "rewari" and said people have to be watchful against this culture. He asserted that those with freebies culture will never build new expressways, new airports or defence corridors. He gave a call to collectively defeat this thinking and remove freebies culture from the politics of the country.

He added the government is working on projects to provide amenities like pucca houses, railway lines, roads and infrastructure, irrigation and electricity projects away from this rewari culture.

Speaking after inaugurating the Bundelkhand Expressway in Uttar Pradesh, the PM said such expressways will help connect neglected areas of the state. He emphasised that such great infrastructure and facilities are no longer limited to large cities and selected areas of the countries. Now even the remote and neglected areas are witnessing unprecedented connectivity. He added that because of the expressway, the region will see many opportunities of development and employment.

"Every corner of Uttar Pradesh is ready to move forward with new dreams and new resolutions. UP's identity is changing across the country as it is outperforming many advanced states. By delivering the projects before time, we are respecting people’s mandate and their confidence," PM said during the inauguration ceremony at Kaitheri village in Orai tehsil of Jalaun district.

Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, state ministers, MPs and MLAs were among those present on the occasion.

The foundation stone for the construction of the Bundelkhand Expressway was laid by the Prime Minister on February 29, 2020 and the work was completed within 28 months. The 296 km, the four-lane expressway has been constructed at a cost of around Rs 14,850 crores and can later be expanded up to six lanes. It passes through seven districts -- Chitrakoot, Banda, Mahoba, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Auraiya and Etawah.

Speaking about the difference that the new expressway will usher in Mr Modi said, "The distance from Chitrakoot to Delhi has been reduced by 3-4 hours by the Bundelkhand Expressway, but its benefit is much more than that. This expressway will not only give speed to vehicles here, but it will accelerate the industrial progress of the entire Bundelkhand."

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the PM asked the chief minister to develop a tourism circuit around the forts in the region. He added that infrastructure projects in Uttar Pradesh are connecting many areas that have been ignored in the past. But now the "double-engine government" is working with renewed vigour. "Double-engine governments are not adopting the short-cut of freebies and delivering through hard work," he said.

The Prime Minister said the larger thinking behind taking a decision and making a policy should be to further accelerate the development of the country. "Everything that harms the country, affects the development of the country, has to be kept away," he asserted.

He drew attention to the culture of seeking votes by distributing freebies and warned that this "freebies culture is very dangerous" for the development of the country.