Smriti Irani bowls Amethi over with development galore

Amethi:  In just 100 days, she has launched projects worth Rs 800 crore in Amethi -- a clear sign that Union Minister Smriti Irani is in no mood to allow the Gandhis to retrieve their lost ground at their erstwhile pocket borough.

Smriti Irani, who concluded her two-day visit to her parliamentary constituency on Thursday, told the people of Amethi that in the past 100 days, she had launched 210 programmes at the cost of Rs 225 crores and a Rs 550 crore project of the railways was also on.

The Minister said that she plans to develop eight tourist spots and has initiated work on 210 roads in the constituency. A lake will also be created at a cost of Rs 85.7 crores.

Apart from this, the Amethi railway station has been provided Wi-Fi facility and the station is being upgraded.

"This has been possible because the people of Amethi supported me. My doors are open for the people of Amethi and they can meet me whenever they want," she said.

Irani, who has remained active in Amethi ever since she lost the Lok Sabha elections to Rahul Gandhi in 2014, had managed to defeat the Congress leader in 2019 with a margin of 55,000 votes.

Even after being made a minister in the Modi government, Irani continues to visit Amethi every month and does not forget to compare her presence with Rahul Gandhi's prolonged absence from Amethi when he represented the constituency in the Lok Sabha.

"For me, development is important for Amethi which has remained neglected and undeveloped for years. I will do everything possible to ensure the development of this place," she said.

For the Gandhi family, the loss of Amethi was the biggest loss of the 2019 general elections.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who met people form Amethi, said that they should not lose hope and the Congress would be back at the constituency soon.