CM lays foundation stone of Rs 1,670cr Gangasagar Setu project

Gangasagar: CM Mamata Banerjee laid the foundation stone of the Rs 1,670-crore worth, 4.8 km-long Gangasagar Setu project at Sagar Islands on Monday. Speaking on the occasion, the CM took a swipe at the BJP-led Union govt, claiming they "did literally nothing for Bengal".Without naming either the PM or the Union home minister, the CM said, "Some people came here a few days ago and lied. Liars always lie. I forgive them. Their only job is to spread lies, corruption and authoritarianism. Let them be happy with what they do. We do not wish ill for anyone."
"Some people are trying to mock our Unnayoner Panchali. I would say they should mock BJP instead of Trinamool. Just look at Gangasagar and you will understand what the Trinamool has done. You [BJP] did literally nothing. You did nothing for Bengal. You only come during elections," the CM said.Stressing on the significance of the proposed bridge to be built by L&T in the next two years, CM Banerjee said, "Today is a historic day as the foundation stone of the Gangasagar Setu was laid. The five km-long, four-lane highway over the Muriganga River will connect Kakdwip on the mainland to Kachuberia.""The bridge will benefit around three lakh residents. It will aid trade, reduce cost of goods, generate employment, and improve access to education. Local agricultural produce can be transported at a lower cost and tourism will get a boost," the CM said.She added that the bridge would prove crucial during natural calamities as relief would be able to reach affected areas sooner. Banerjee called the Kapil Muni Ashram "Bengal's pride" and said it was severely affected by a natural calamity last year and had been renovated since.Banerjee said infrastructure in Gangasagar was dismal prior to 2011."We have since modernised the infrastructure here. Three helipads were built. Four to five ministers, senior officials and NGOs remain vigilant to ensure the Gangasagar Mela is conducted in an organised manner. I closely monitor meetings. Preparatory work begins well beforehand and I visit the site to monitor the situation on the ground," she added.The CM said that unlike other govts, the Bengal govt doesn't discriminate. "Those who copied our Lakshmir Bhandar don't give benefits if people own a bike, cycle or TV. Before elections, they hand out Rs 10,000. After elections, their bulldozer arrives," she added."You [BJP] gave Rs 10,000 merely to win elections, whereas we provided nearly Rs 60,000 over the past five years. From birth to death, our schemes cover everyone without any discrimination," Banerjee said.The CM also inaugurated and laid foundation stones for Rs 2,323.3 crore-worth other projects. A total of 96 projects worth Rs 394 crore were inaugurated and foundation stones were laid of 70 projects valued at Rs 1,929.3 crore, including ‘Sagar Kanya', a 100-bed dormitory built at a cost of Rs 8.8 crore and the ‘Ganganna' tourism cottage.The CM visited Bharat Sevashram Sangha and Kapil Muni Ashram to offer prayers. On preparations for Gangasagar Mela, set to start from Jan 8, she said she had already convened several meetings and that a team of 10-12 officials will stay at Gangasagar to oversee proceedings. "We are expecting more than 1 crore pilgrims to come to Gangasagar Mela this time," the CM added.