Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi could not keep himself back on Saturday while expressing hope that Chhattisgarh would surge ahead of Gujarat on development matters during the next five years.
"We would be proud of this with a wish that every State in the country could progress like Chhattisgarh and get ahead of Gujarat. We would be most delighted if this happens," Modi said while addressing a massive gathering at a public meeting organised at the Rajnandgaon district headquarters during the course of the Chief Minister Raman Singh's Vikas Yatra.
Citing Chhattisgarh's pace of development, the Gujarat Chief Minister commented: "Despite being a new State, its area under agriculture and irrigation had expanded.
Its budget had swelled from Rs 6,000 crore to Rs 44,000 crore with a quantum jump in its per capita income."
Modi said that the purchasing powe.r of the people in Chhattisgarh had gone up. "And when such things happen, the markets gain momentum."
"This new State is waving the flag of prosperity and that had been possible solely on account of its development agenda, the toil of its people and better governance," he remarked.
Modi said that the people of Chhattisgarh have understood the power of political stability. "Food for every poor, medical treatment for all, water availability in every farm and fodder for the cattle are the core mantras of development."
"Chhattisgarh is the first to grab the honour of being a 'Zero Power Cut' State," he added.
Referring to Modi's immense knowledge on Chhattisgarh, Chief Minister Raman Singh said that his links with the State are very old adding that he had visited the State several times earlier.
later, Singh inaugurated and carried out bhumi pujan for a total of 503 construction works to be taken up at a total cost of an estimated Rs 189 crore at the district headquarters.