New Delhi, May 3 (IANS): Ahead of the Gujarat assembly polls, the BJP central leadership asked the party ruled state government to speed up the completion of development projects for inauguration before the 'Model Code of Conduct' is enforced.
The Gujarat assembly polls will be held at the end of year along with Himachal Pradesh. Sources in the party said that instruction came in the recent meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others with the Gujarat party leadership including the chief minister.
It was learnt that the Gujarat BJP leadership has been asked to speed up the work of all the projects that are in the final stage of completion, and do an inspection of all the projects of public interest.
"There is a direction to complete all the projects which are in the final stage of completion at the earliest so that it can be inaugurated by September or first week of October before announcement of assembly poll schedule by the Election Commission," a party leader said.
The BJP central leadership has also asked the party ruled government to finalise a list of new projects for which foundation stone will be laid.
"Several new developmental projects and welfare schemes will be announced in the run up to the assembly poll. The party-ruled state government has also been directed to complete the process for launching and lay the foundation stone also," a senior BJP leader said.
The BJP, which has been in power for almost three decades in Gujarat, believes that the Election Commission will announce the poll date after mid October.
Among the projects, one is a new 'greenfield' airport in Rajkot.
In March, Rajkot District Collector Arun Mahesh Babu told IANS that the work on the new Greenfield airport at Hirasar is progressing at good pace and it will be inaugurated soon.
"On the occasion of 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahostav' we are planning to inaugurate the new airport in August subject to clearance from DGCA," Babu had said.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Modi held a meeting with party leaders from Gujarat at his official residence here.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, state BJP president C.R. Patil, Gujarat Law Minister Rajendra Trivedi and others were present in the meeting.
During his recent three-day visit to Gujarat, Prime Minister Modi dedicated a new dairy complex and potato processing plant at Diyodar, Banaskantha district, built at a cost of over Rs 600 crore.
In Dahod, Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of various development projects worth around Rs 22,000 crore. The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of various projects of the state government worth around Rs 550 crore.