Amethi: Union HRD minister Smriti Irani might have lost the recent Lok Sabha election to Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi, but she has no plans of abandoning the constituency, and is instead planning to develop it as her political base.
Bouyed by the fact that Congress is now not in a position to push through new projects for the development of the area, and problems of water, power and roads being state subjects, Irani is planning to bring in developments through the Centre to maintain her contact with the people of the area. “The people here are losing faith and getting disenchanted with the state of affairs and are looking ahead for change.
Amethi, despite being a high profile constituency for the past so many years, has remained backward,” district unit BJP president Daya Shankar Yadav told PTI. “Irani is working for the all round development of the constituency, be it in the field of education, roads or the minor problems related to the people of Amethi,” Irani's poll agent, Uma Shankar Pandey said.
Among the projects for which she has taken an initiative is a district level railway station at Gauriganj for which she also met the Railway Minister, besides development of roads, one of the main concerns of the people here.
“She is working for at least one km long roads in all assembly segments through the PMGSY (Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna) immediately,” Pandey said.
She has also sought a proposal for rebuilding the 70 houses gutted in a major fire in Baraulia village on July 17. Besides asking the district administration to identify land for rebuilding the houses, she has asked party workers to prepare a report on whether the houses can come up at the same place or land of the individual who lost his dwelling in the fire.
Irani, who as BJP candidate had polled an impressive 3 lakh votes in the Lok Sabha elections after 20 days of campaigning, had visited the constituency soon after being inducted into the Union Ministry and said she would contest the polls from this seat next time to develop it as her political field.
In preparation for her battle, she has a host of proposals including setting up of a central school, an Army school, a degree college for girls, on the cards besides a women university depending upon the availability of land. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has also worked on developing the area as an educational hub with the setting up of petroleum institute, NIFT, FDDI, IIIT, nursing college and a paramedical science college.
Pandey said the Union Minister who was caught up with her responsibilities in Delhi would be visiting the district soon, possibily within a month.
“A three-member team is already posted in Delhi for Amethi for the problems of the people visiting the national capital like writing letters and coordinating with ministries or taking up issue with the administration among others,” Pandey said, adding that soon an office of the members of this team would be set up here as well.
