By IANS,
Amethi (Uttar Pradesh) : Saying he felt like a “family member” among the people here, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi Friday said he would leave no stone unturned to make Rae Bareli – which houses his and his mother Sonia Gandhi’s constituencies – the state’s best district.
“Amethi and Rae Bareli will witness a sea change. An all-out effort would be made to make this happen,” said Gandhi during a public meeting organised in Jagdishpur town in his parliamentary constituency, Amethi, which is in Rae Bareli district.
“I have been privileged to work with you all. People here make me feel that I am like a family member for them.”
“The development of Rae Bareli and Amethi would not have become possible without the assistance and support of the public. I want to express my gratitude to the locals, who have always extended their cooperation whenever a developmental project has been undertaken.”
Gandhi along with union Minister for Steel Ram Vilas Paswan and Minister of State for Steel Jitin Prasada arrived here Friday afternoon to participate in a programme for handing over Malvika Steel, which was set up in 1989 at the behest of his father and late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, to the Steel Authority of India (SAIL).
Gandhi announced that for the all-round development of Amethi and Rae Bareli, the centre’s United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had decided to convert three roads into national highways.
“The setting up of a nearly 524-km long national highway in Rae Bareli has been sanctioned by the government,” said Gandhi.
The three upcoming highways – Rae Bareli-Sultanpur-Pratapgarh-Machlishehar-Jaunpur, Rae Bareli-Gauriganj-Sultanpur-Ambedkar Nagar and Unnao-Rae Bareli – will immensely help poor farmers and others locals, said Gandhi.
He said in the last five years, the UPA government has undertaken several projects in the field of education, health and other sectors for betterment of Amethi and Rae Bareli. His mother and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s parliamentary constituency is Rae Bareli.
Delving into past, Rahul Gandhi said it was around four years ago he had made up his mind to re-open the Malvika Steel plant.
“While I was on a tour in my constituency, a group of locals stooped me in front of the gates of the steel plant and urged to reopen it. At that time, they also told me that the steel unit also houses a school that could not function owing to paucity of funds. That day I made a firm determination to make the steel plant functional.”
Gandhi said that the development of Amethi and Rae Bareli would make him fulfil the long cherished dream of his father and former prime minister, the late Rajiv Gandhi.