Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing a public meeting after inaugurating two projects in Dantewada on Saturday.
Prime Minister Narendra took his message of development to Maoist-hit under-developed Dantewada, where he inaugurated two projects today.
Hours after a group of over 200 villagers were taken hostage by Maoists, who had ordered the people to boycott the Prime Minister's public meeting, Mr Modi said violence has no future, "If there is a future, it is in peace".
"Do not get disappointed. Even Naxal activities will be fought... I am sure that humanity exists in people who indulge in such activities and they will change.
His prescription for the area was development. "The fruits of development must reach the poorest of the poor and jobs for the youth are at the core of our policies."
"Chhattisgarh has the power to change the future of India," he said, reminding the people that this was "probably the first time in Bastar's history" that projects worth Rs.24,000 crore were signed "in just one hour".
"For a state a project worth Rs 5000cr is quite something. But here for one district projects worth Rs 24,000 crore has been approved," he said.
The way ahead for the mineral rich state, he said, lies in manufacturing. The idea has always been, "send iron out and get steel from outside," he said. "Now this has to stop. We will make steel from the iron ore."
The two projects he inaugurated on Saturday included a Memorandum of Understanding for setting up an ultra-mega steel plant at Dilmili village in Dantewada, with a capacity of 3 million tonne every year. The plant will bring direct investment of more than Rs 18,000 crore and employ over 10,000 people in the region, directly and indirectly.
The other project was the second phase of a railway-link between Rowghat and Jagdalpur, bringing more connectivity to the area.
"I can imagine what this will do for the development of Bastar," he said.
The Congress had alleged that the real reason for the PM's visit is to give corporates access to the minerals-rich Bastar region, and not to inquire about the welfare of its people.