Dehradun, June 13 -- Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday said that the country now votes on the basis of performance rather than slogans, asserting that the 12 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership have been marked by public welfare, good governance and inclusive development. Addressing a press conference at the state BJP state office in Dehradun, Dhami congratulated the Prime Minister on completing 12 years in office and said the period had been dedicated to service, empowerment of the poor and the progress of every citizen. He also conveyed best wishes on behalf of the people of Uttarakhand and prayed for the PM's long life and good health. Dhami said the people have "repeatedly reposed faith in Modi by electing him as Prime Minister in 2014, 2019 and 2024, demonstrating that voters now judge governments by their performance". He added that India has emerged as a confident, secure and globally respected nation under Modi's leadership. Dhami said that unlike previous governments, where many schemes remained confined to official files, the Modi government had focused on implementation and timely completion of projects. "During the Congress era, schemes existed only on paper, whereas under the Modi government they are implemented on the ground," he said. Highlighting welfare initiatives, the chief minister said 250 million people had been lifted out of poverty and that Rs.4.31 lakh crore had been transferred directly into beneficiaries' accounts through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system. He added that welfare programmes such as Jan Dhan Yojana, Ayushman Bharat, Jal Jeevan Mission, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and Ujjwala Yojana had transformed the lives of millions. Dhami also said that the pace of road construction had increased from around 11 kilometres a day in 2014 to over 34 kilometres a day. Senior Congress leader and former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat said, "Serving as Prime Minister for 12 years is undoubtedly a significant achievement. However, even if someone were to remain in office for 15 years, comparing that individual with Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru would cross every boundary of hyperbole," he said. "Compared to the India of 1947, the India of 2014 was already on the threshold of becoming the world's sixth-largest economy. In 1947 and 1950, India did not even manufacture a needle, whereas by 2014 it was successfully launching missions such as Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan," he added. Reacting sharply to CM Dhami's remarks comparing the achievements of the BJP government with those of the Congress, state Congress vice-president Suryakant Dhasmana said development is a continuous process in which announcements, foundation stone-laying ceremonies and inaugurations keep taking place. "Building a nation from a state of scarcity and deprivation is one thing. Taking a country that is already on a path of development and advancing it further is comparatively easier". Referring to the PM's pre-2014 promise of creating 20 million jobs annually, he alleged that if the promise had been fulfilled, nearly 240 million jobs should have been generated in 12 years....