People Voted For Congress But Got No Houses: HM Amit Shah Recalls Ramapir No Tekro Association

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday accused the Congress of neglecting Ahmedabad’s Ramapir no Tekro for decades. He said residents voted for the party for years but received no permanent homes.

Addressing a gathering at the inauguration of housing projects, Shah recalled his association with the settlement. He said his political and social journey began there in 1985.

He described the area’s poor living conditions at the time. Open drains, damaged roads, inadequate drinking water and limited educational facilities affected residents.

“I often wondered how nearly 50,000 to 55,000 people living in Ramapir no Tekro and Gandhinagar Tekro managed their daily lives amid such conditions,” he said.

Shah criticised the Congress for failing to address the residents’ housing needs. He said the party ruled the country and Gujarat from 1947 to 1990 but did little for the settlement.

Shah recalled the BJP’s first councillor from the area winning election in 1995. He said the party had since worked to improve living conditions.

Shah said efforts to provide permanent homes continued after his election from the Sarkhej Assembly constituency in 2012. He had personally inspected the newly constructed houses and expressed satisfaction with their quality and basic facilities.

The projects inaugurated on Monday include 532 residential units and 16 shops in Sector 5. The project cost Rs 47.14 crore. Another 644 houses in Sector 1 were built at Rs 40.88 crore.

Shah said the completed redevelopment would provide social security, recreational, educational and healthcare facilities to more than 55,000 residents.

He urged families to prioritise children’s education. He said slum redevelopment initiatives had benefited nearly one lakh people in Ahmedabad.

Amit Shah credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi with launching the initiative and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel with carrying it forward.