Past promises remain on paper as PM makes new ones now: Gohil

The Congress leader, who is a native of Bhavnagar and a sitting Rajya Sahba member, enlisted a number of projects, which, he claimed was announced by Modi as Gujarat chief minister and had not taken off. According to Gohil, in 2008, Modi had announced that an earthen bund will be built across the Gulf of Khambhat as part of Kalpasar project along with gas and waterlines that connect Bhavnagar with Surat.

“Years have passed since but even a single brick of Kalpsar has not been laid,” said Gohil, adding an RTI reply had revealed that the government spent Rs18 lakh on printing invitation for the 2008 event held in Jawahar Maidan.

Modi is scheduled to visit Bhavnagar on Thursday to lay the foundation stone of world’s first CNG terminal being built at a cost of Rs 4,024 crore at Nava Bandar and around two dozen other projects worth hundreds of crores of rupees.

The Congress leader also said that the announcements to develop industrial estates in Ghogha, Talaja and Vallabhipur, making Mithi Virdi (Sartanpar) port a Central port, setting up a marine university in Bhavnagar, building a shipyard at a cost of Rs 2,800 crore, a diamond park, modernising Mahuva port and setting up 46 schools in coastal areas of Bhavnagar remain on paper.

“Projects announced for Bhavnagar in the past have not taken off and the Prime Minister is visiting (Bhavnagar) during election times. We expect that he will not make only announcements but will also give an account of projects announced in the past,” said Gohil.