Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on Saturday, presented a pair of slippers to a tribal woman under Charan-Paduka (footwear) Scheme. This scheme aims to provide footwear to Tendu leaves (tendupatta) collectors in order to help them have smooth movement in the forest. The video shows, the prime minister presenting pair of slippers to an old tribal lady. The woman then wore the slippers thanked the prime minister and left. Among those who were present along with the prime minister at the stage was state Chief Minister Raman Singh.

Narendra Modi, who is the first prime minister to visit the district also inaugurated a health centre under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme. While inaugurating the centre, the prime minister hoped that the people of the state would now have proper healthcare facility.” The first stage of the Ayushman Bharat Scheme has started. Through this efforts will be done to ensure that proper health care facilities are provided. In almost all health and wellness centres across all the country, this facility will be provided,” he was quoted as saying by ANI.

Expressing confidence that the district would no more be counted among backward districts, he added, “If Bijapur can see development in 100 days then why can’t the other districts witness the same? I came here to assure you that with all the development projects now Bijapur district will no longer be known as a backward district.”

“Doesn’t mothers of this region, have the right to see their children grow up healthy, without any deficiencies?,” he asked.

The prime minister also laid foundation stones for a number of projects of central and state government in the district. He also launched the first phase of the Bastar Internet scheme. Under this scheme, 40,000-km-long network of fibre optics cable would be laid in the seven districts of the state. This was his fourth visit to the state after becoming the prime minister in 2014. He visited Dantewada in May 2015, Naya Raipur and Rajnandgaon in February 2016 and Naya Raipur in November 2016. Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in Chhattisgarh this year.