Prime Minister Nar endra Modi on Monday said his government's priority is to re-spect and empower the poor and deprived sections of the society. He also said investments of thousands of crores have been made in Indore's vicinity during the BJP's "double-engine gov ernment (at the Centre and in Madhya Pradesh). This will give rise to thousands of employment opportunities, Modi said addressing via video link a programme organised to distribute dues worth Rs 224 crore pertaining to workers of the Hakumchand Mill in Mad hya Pradesh's Indore city. The decision will benefit more than 4,800 labourers, he said at the programme 'Mazdooron ka Hit, Mazdooron ko Samarpit" The PM also praised the state government for resolving this issue, which was pending for a long time, and said he was for tunate to be a part of this event.

He said Madhya Pradesh government has taken significant steps to transform the lives of the poor. I have always said that for me, the biggest four castes are poor, youth, women and farmers. Our priority is to respect and em power the poor and deprived, he said. Modi further said that getting the bicasings of labourers on the occasion of the Good Gov ernance Day, being observed on the birth anniversary of for mer prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayce, will prove to be beneficial for the "double-engine government and the people of the state Workers of the Hukumchand Mill fought a long legal battic for the payment of their dues af ter the mill in Indore was closed in 1992, and went into liquidation.

On the initiative of the Madhya Pradesh government, the state Housing & Infrastructure Devel opment Board and labour unions sealed an agreement and the tlement amount was deposited in the high court on December 20, officials earlier said. Modi said he was told that when the package was announced for the Hukumchand Mill workers, there was a festive atmosphere in Indore. "This decision has further increased the festive joy among our labourer brothers and today's programme is the result of years of penance of labourers, Modi said. "It is the result of many years of their dreams and resolutions. I firmly believe that the families of labourers will shower their blessings upon the new team of the double-engine government," he said. The people of Indore will remember De cember 25 as the day the work seters got justice, he said.

The prime minister said amounts worth thousands of crores were being invested in these proj ects. "This will not only ensure development and prosperity in the region, but will abo gener ate thousands of employment opportunities for our youth," he said. These developmental proj ects will strongly strengthen the economy of the region, he said.