Page 152 - SocialHarmony

156 Social Harmony

days. The Gujarat Government has put up 23 lakh new pillars
in one thousand days. Farmers are aware of the fact that the
burning of one transformer can destroy standing crops and play
havoc with the farmer’s entire year. He might have to postpone
his daughter’s marriage or even mortgage his farm. Farmers in
Gujarat, who have seen such days would be happy to learn that
the government has installed 56,000 transformers in 1,000 days
under the Jyotigram Yojna. You can see that it has been at the
rate of 56 transformers a day. Where once even one transformer
was not available in 45 days, we have now been able to provide
56 transformers a day. This has happened only because of our
determination. It was our sincere wish to ensure the welfare of
the farmers. We knew that if the farmer’s crop is saved, his home
would be illuminated, his daughter would get married and his
son would get a proper education. It was my wish that a poor
and ill mother should get relief with the cool breeze of a fan, a
family can sit together and relax in each other’s company with
the lights and fans running. To fulfil this wish, we have installed
23 lakh pillars and 56,000 transformers. In the past, electric wires
would get burnt during heavy rains and they would not be
changed till two years. We installed 75,000 km-long wires within
a thousand days. Jyotigram has taken shape after mammoth
efforts and outlay of thousands or crores of rupees. Our friends
in the energy department have worked very hard. They were
doing so even before my Chief Ministership also. Each of my
workers has worked very hard, not taking a leave even for their
own mother’s illness to complete my desire of the welfare of
Gujarat. Only then has it been possible to put up 23 lakh pillars.
This plan is not a work done just to celebrate inaugurations and
claim progress – it has been a mission carried out with extreme
hard work to make the dream of an illuminated Gujarat a reality.

For many years in Gujarat government of Congress was in
power. The Congress has not produced a single unit of new
electricity in any state of India under its rule. The Gujarat
Government has produced 800 crores units of new electricity
in a short period of three years. The Narmada Yojna has
definitely produced new electric power, but the major benefit