West Bengal election 2021: Rs 7,300-cr projects launched in BJP's late push

A countdown to the battle for West Bengal has begun. Voting for Assembly elections in West Bengal will take place in eight phases starting March 27

West Bengal election 2021: A countdown to the battle for West Bengal has begun. In a bid to emerge victorious on May 2, when the result of election to the 294-seat Assembly will be announced, neither ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) nor Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leaving anything to chance. Days before BJP national president J P Nadda launched his party's election campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself visited the state and launched a slew of projects — worth over Rs 7,300 crore.

As we move closer to the start of the eight-phase polling in West Bengal, let's take a look at the projects inaugurated by PM Modi in the month of February, before the Election Commission of India imposed the model code of conduct in the state.

February 7, 2021

Prime Minister Modi dedicated four projects, worth around Rs 4,700 crore, in gas, oil and infrastructure sectors, during his visit to Haldia. The projects were:

Dobhi-Durgapur pipeline

New LPG Terminal

Four-lane road overbridge cum flyover

Catalytic-Isodewaxing Unit

Modi inaugurated the 347-km Dobhi-Durgapur stretch of the Jagdishpur-Haldia natural gas pipeline. The stretch, built at a cost of Rs 2,443 crore, is expected to help supply gas to industries, homes and vehicles in several districts of West Bengal and Jharkhand.

The prime minister also inaugurated an LPG import terminal built by Bharat Petroleum in Haldia at the cost of Rs 1,100 crore. The terminal is expected to help cater to the growing cooking gas demand from states in the eastern and northeastern parts of the country. The coverage of cooking gas in West Bengal had risen from 41 per cent in 2014 to above 99 per cent now, resulting in increased demand, the prime minister said.

Modi also inaugurated a flyway and laid the foundation stone for the second catalytic dewaxing unit at the Haldia Refinery of Indian Oil.

February 22, 2021

PM Modi launched projects worth Rs 2,775 crore on February 22, 2021. Besides flagging off the first service on the Noapara-Dakshineswar stretch, he inaugurated a third line between Kalaikunda and Jhargram. He “dedicated to the nation” the doubling of Azimganj to Khargraghat Road section of Eastern Railway, a fourth line between Dankuni and Baruipara and a third line between Rasulpur and Magra.

Modi also claimed that the state government had dragged its feet on rolling out PM-KISAN. "If voted to office in the state, the BJP’s first Cabinet decision will be to release PM-KISAN grants to Bengal’s estimated 7 million farmers, including arrears since its launch in December 2018,” he said.

TMC, too, has left nothing to chance

The BJP sprang a surprise by increasing its tally from two seats to 18 in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. To halt a saffron juggernaut, the TMC went on an overdrive, announcing new schemes and making sure its previous welfare programmes stayed fresh in the minds of people.

Among them, the renewed ‘Swastha Sathi’ scheme struck a chord with citizens, with millions standing in queues to enrol themselves for the programme that would enable the insurance holder and their family to avail of treatment worth up to Rs 5 lakh.

The party also launched the “Duare Sarkar” (government at doorstep) outreach programme, which covers benefits of 11 state-run welfare schemes.

West Bengal election 2021 schedule

Voting for Assembly elections in West Bengal will take place in eight phases starting March 27. The counting of votes will take place on May 2.