I view eastern states as India's growth engine, says PM Modi

'WERE CONSIDERED BACKWARD EARLIER'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted on Sunday that his government considers India's eastern region as the country's growth engine, while the area was considered backward earlier. Addressing a gathering at the "Odisha Parba" event here, the prime minister said investments of Rs 45,000 crore have been approved within 100 days of the formation of a new government in the state.

"Odisha has always been a land of seers and scholars. The way the scholars there took our religious texts to every household and connected the public with those, it has played a crucial role in the cultural prosperity of India.

"There was a time when India's eastern region and the states there were called backward. However, I consider the eastern region as the country's growth engine. That is why we have prioritised the development of the region," he said.