Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for projects worth Rs 1.22 trillion at a function in Banswara, Rajasthan. He criticised previous governments for neglecting the importance of electricity, saying that boosting power generation was essential for rapid development in the 21st century.

Modi recalled that before 2014, around 25 million households in India had no electricity connection and that even after 70 years of Independence, poles had not been installed in 18,000 villages. He said frequent power cuts under Congress governments meant villagers celebrated even a few hours of electricity, which hindered the establishment of industries.

He added that his government resolved to change this, ensuring every village had access to electricity and emphasising that countries leading in clean energy will emerge most successful. The BJP government, he said, has made clean energy a people’s movement.

The Prime Minister also targeted the previous Congress government in Rajasthan, accusing it of corruption, failing the Jal Jeevan Mission, ignoring women’s safety, and turning the state into a “hub of paper leaks.” He said the BJP had restored law and order and accelerated development.

Marking the birth anniversary of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, Modi said his principle of Antyodaya — uplift of the last person in society — had become the government’s mission, focusing on the welfare of the poor, Dalits, backward classes, and tribal communities. He added that under Atal Behari Vajpayee, a separate ministry for tribal affairs was first created, which has since been strengthened.

Highlighting development in tribal regions, Modi announced a PM MITRA Park in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, to benefit tribal farmers. He also noted that a tribal woman, Droupadi Murmu, had become President of India under the BJP government. Her advocacy for the most marginalised tribal groups inspired the PM Janman Yojana, which prioritises their welfare.