
New Delhi: With attempts to woo the voters in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections by rival politicians in full swing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi set the ball rolling for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Delhi today. He inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for several key development projects in this crucial state for his party, and said, “Today is a landmark day for Delhi, with transformative projects in housing, infrastructure and education being launched to accelerate the city’s development”.
Modi took the opportunity to hit out at the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and identified issues where the latter was at loggerheads vis a vis the Central Government policies which Modi claimed were denied to the residents by the Delhi Government.
The Prime Minister stated that Delhi always envisioned good governance but the ruling state government failed to deliver on its promises and has only worsened the situation. He claimed that while the Central Government was handling major projects in Delhi like roads, metro systems, hospitals, and college campuses, the Delhi Government failed to fulfill its responsibilities, especially in areas like the cleaning of the Yamuna River. “Neglecting the Yamuna River has led to a crisis where people are left with dirty water,” he added and claimed that as a result, the people of Delhi “are determined to fight against this crisis, vowing to bring change and rid the city of this corruption”.
He emphasised that his goal is to ensure that the benefits of good national schemes reach Delhi. Referring to the tiff over the Centre’s Ayushman Scheme, he underlined that he wanted to provide the people of Delhi with the benefits of the Ayushman Scheme, which offers free treatment but the state government was not allowing the Ayushman Scheme to be implemented in Delhi.
Emphasizing the Central government’s commitment to improving the lives of the people of Delhi through the world’s largest health insurance scheme, the Prime Minister said, “The Central government has extended the Ayushman Bharat Yojana to include elderly citizens above the age of 70. However, the people of Delhi, especially the elderly, are not benefiting from this due to the selfishness, arrogance, and stubbornness of the state government.”
Modi further criticized the state government for failing to provide essential services like water and sewerage., and assured the people of Delhi of resolving these issues.
He claimed that the central government was working “with full sensitivity” to address the needs of Delhi’s residents. He highlighted the Central government’s efforts to regularize colonies in Delhi claiming that it benefitted lakhs of people. He also underscored that the Central Government was providing free ration to nearly 75 lakh needy people in Delhi.
He said the government was also making electricity bills zero and offering opportunities for families to produce electricity, and through the Pradhanmantri Suryaghar Muft Bijli Yojana, families were becoming electricity producers, with the Central Government offering Rs 78,000 to help install solar panels.
Highlighting the ongoing progress in Delhi’s infrastructure development, such as the provision of piped natural gas to every home and the construction of new highways and expressways, the Prime Minister said, “Because the state has no interference in these projects, work is progressing swiftly. These developments are crucial to improving the lives of Delhi’s residents.”
On the education front, for which the present Aam Aadmi Party government of Delhi takes credit for revamping during its rule, Modi accused the Delhi government of making “outright lies” and asserted the state government of Delhi caused “significant harm, particularly by mismanaging funds” meant for education. “The situation is such that the funds allocated under the ‘Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan’ were not even spent on the children’s education by the state government. The past 10 years have been marked by corruption and scams in various sectors such as liquor contracts, school education, healthcare for the poor, pollution control, and recruitment. Some hardcore corrupt individuals, using Anna Hazare as a front, have pushed Delhi into this crisis”, he claimed.
He said the Central Government was making efforts for the education system in Delhi. “Every family dreams that their children will receive the best education, and the Central government is working towards providing top-tier schools, colleges, and universities across the country,” he stated. He harped on improving access to quality education and opportunities for especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. He also praised the National Education Policy (NEP), which emphasizes teaching in mother tongues to ensure that children from all backgrounds, including marginalized communities, have the opportunity to succeed. “Under the new National Education Policy, children from poor families now have a clearer path to becoming doctors, engineers, and professionals,” he noted. He also acknowledged the crucial role of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in improving India’s education system. He announced the construction of a new CBSE building to support the expansion of modern educational practices. “The new CBSE building will help expand modern education and the adoption of advanced examination methods,” he said.
He said in the field of higher education, the reputation of Delhi University was continuously growing stronger. “Our effort is to provide more opportunities for higher education to the youth of Delhi right here. Today, the foundation stones for new campuses have been laid, which will allow hundreds of students to study at DU annually. The long-awaited Eastern and Western campuses will now be developed in Surajmal Vihar and Dwarka, respectively”, Shri Modi added. Additionally, a new college in the name of Veer Savarkar will also be built in Najafgarh, he said.

In line with his ‘Housing for All’ commitment, Modi visited newly constructed flats for the dwellers of jhuggi jhopri (JJ) clusters under the In-Situ Slum Rehabilitation Project at Swabhiman Apartments, Ashok Vihar, Delhi today. He inaugurated the 1,675 newly constructed flats for the JJ clusters’ dwellers and handed keys to eligible beneficiaries at Swabhiman Apartments in Ashok Vihar, Delhi. He said that pucca houses were in place of jhuggis, and meant a new beginning to own a home in place of rented accommodation.
Outlining the significant strides taken in the housing sector, the Prime Minister mentioned the “successful” implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban), under which over 1 crore homes have been constructed, across the country in the last decade. “In the last 10 years, over 30,000 new homes have been built in Delhi under this scheme. We are now expanding this effort, and in the next phase, one crore more homes will be constructed for urban poor families across the country,” he added.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the financial assistance provided to middle-class families, including large subsidies on home loan interest rates for those earning under ₹9 lakh annually, he affirmed. “Our government is ensuring that every family, whether poor or middle-class, has the opportunity to own a good home,” he added.
Modi remarked that the houses allotted to the people symbolised a house of self-respect, self-esteem and new aspirations and dreams, and he was present to become a part of the celebration and festivities. Recalling the days of the Emergency in the past, Modi said that he and many other party workers like him who were part of the underground movement against the Emergency stayed at Ashok Vihar.
“The entire country is engaged towards the making of Viksit Bharat today”, exclaimed Modi, and remarked that Delhi had a major role in accomplishing this resolution. Therefore, he added, that the Central Government had started a scheme to replace the Jhuggis with pucca houses. Recalling that two years ago, he had the opportunity to inaugurate more than 3,000 houses in Kalkaji Extension for the jhuggi dwellers, he said that those families which for many generations had lived in jhuggis without any hopes moved into pucca houses for the first time. He further highlighted that keys to around 1,500 houses were given to the people today. “Swabhiman Apartments will boost the self-respect of the people further,” he added.
The Prime Minister also announced the construction of nearly 3000 new flats in Delhi, adding that in coming years thousands of new homes will be made available for the city’s residents. He further said, “A large number of government employees live in these areas, and the houses they occupied were quite old. The construction of new, modern housing will provide them with improved living standards, reflecting our commitment to their well-being.” In light of the expanding population and urbanization in the city, Modi announced that the Central Government is further accelerating the development of Delhi’s infrastructure by speeding up the construction of the Narela sub-city.
The inauguration of newly constructed flats marked the completion of the second In-Situ Slum Rehabilitation Project by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA). The objective of the project was to provide the residents of the JJ clusters in Delhi with a better and healthier living environment equipped with proper amenities and facilities. For every Rs 25 lakh spent on the construction of a flat by the government, eligible beneficiaries pay less than 7% of the total amount, comprising Rs 1.42 lakh as a nominal contribution and Rs 30,000 for five years of maintenance. Modi said that the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban), in the next phase, one crore more homes will be constructed for urban poor families across the country,” he added. The Prime Minister also highlighted the financial assistance provided to middle-class families, including large subsidies on home loan interest rates for those earning under ₹9 lakh annually he affirmed.
Modi also inaugurated two urban redevelopment projects- the World Trade Centre (WTC) at Nauroji Nagar and the General Pool Residential Accommodation (GPRA) Type-II Quarters at Sarojini Nagar.
The World Trade Centre at Nauroji Nagar replaced over 600 dilapidated quarters with state-of-the-art commercial towers, offering around 34 lakh square feet of premium commercial space with advanced amenities. The project incorporated green building practices, with provisions such as a zero-discharge concept, solar energy generation, and rainwater harvesting systems.
The GPRA Type-II Quarters at Sarojini Nagar include 28 towers that house over 2,500 residential units, offering modern amenities and efficient use of space. The project’s design incorporates rainwater harvesting systems, sewage and water treatment plants, and solar-powered waste compactors encouraging eco-conscious living.
The Prime Minister further inaugurated CBSE’s Integrated Office Complex at Dwarka, Delhi built at around Rs 300 crore. It includes offices, an auditorium, and an advanced data centre, as well as a comprehensive water management system among others. The eco-friendly building has been constructed to high environmental standards and was designed as per Platinum Rating standards of the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC).
Modi laid the foundation stone of three new projects at Delhi University worth over Rs 600 crore. It includes the Eastern Campus at Surajmal Vihar in East Delhi and the Western Campus at Dwarka. It also includes building Veer Savarkar College at Roshanpura, Najafgarh, having state-of-the-art facilities for education.
Congratulating the people on the occasion, the Prime Minister remarked that the projects inaugurated today consisted of houses for the poor and projects related to schools and colleges. He greeted those people and women in particular, who he said were starting a new innings in a way.
– global bihari bureau