Jayapur is adopting me, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has chosen Jayapur as part of the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana introduced for lawmakers, on Friday said the village is adopting him and not the other way round.

"It is a privilege to be associated with the Jayapur village. Jayapur is adopting me, not the other way round," said Prime Minister Modi.

He pledged to take responsibility of the village as part of the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana introduced for Members of Parliament.

Expressing his willingness to learn from the experience of villagers, Prime Minister Modi said that he can't learn things by sitting with 'babus'.

Urging the people to take initiative for development of villages, he said, "Systems that have been in place for the last 60 years are full of loopholes."

The Prime Minister urged the young generation to be more attached to the villages, saying they lack that connection.

He also asked the people to work together towards building an ideal village.

"I say when a daughter is born, the whole family should celebrate the occasion like a festival. But this doesn't happen," he said.

"Birth of a daughter is a reason of gloom in the family. When a daughter is born, plant a tree. 20 years later, you can sell five trees for her wedding," he added.

Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of a trade facilitation centre for weavers.

Prime Minister Modi is presently on his maiden two-day visit to Varanasi after assuming the charge in New Delhi.

Adequate security arrangements have been put in place in the ancient temple town for the Prime Minister's visit.