Monitoring Desk,10-May; The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone, inaugurated and dedicated to the nation projects worth over Rs. 5500 crores in Nathdwara, Rajasthan today. The development projects focus on bolstering infrastructure and connectivity in the region where the railway and road projects will facilitate the movement of goods and services, thereby boosting trade and commerce and improving the socio-economic conditions of the people in the region.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister expressed gratitude for getting the opportunity to visit the glorious land of Mewar of Lord Shrinath. The Prime Minister recalled performing darshan and puja at the Shrinathji Temple in Nathdwara earlier in the day and wished for blessings to accomplish the goals of a Viksit Bharat in the Azaadi Ka Amrit Kaal.
Referring to the projects which were dedicated and for which the foundation stone was laid today, the Prime Minister said that these projects will enhance Rajasthan’s connectivity. where the six-laning of Udaipur to Shamlaji section of the National Highway will benefit Udaipur, Dungarpur and Banswara. Bilara-Jodhpur Section of NH-25 will ease access to border areas from Jodhpur. He said that time taken for travel between Jaipur-Jodhpur will be reduced by three hours and the world heritage sites like Kumbhalgarh and Haldi Ghati will become more accessible. “New Railway line from Shri Nathdwara will connect Mewar with Marwar and will help the sectors like Marble, granite and mining industry”, he said.
The Prime Minister referred to negativity being promoted in the country. He talked about the naysayers who question the priorities between Aata and Data, Sadak-Satellite. The Prime Minister said along with basic facilities, the creation of modern infrastructure is equally important. He said vote politics makes it impossible to plan for the country’s future. He decried short-term thinking of creating small assets which fall short of the growing needs very quickly. This thinking led to neglect of the construction of infrastructure at great cost to the country, he said.
“Rajasthan has suffered a lot due to the lack of a futuristic vision for infrastructure in the country”, the Prime Minister remarked as he pointed out that the difficulties faced by the people were not limited to traveling from one place to another but also involved agriculture, businesses and industries. Noting that the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojna began in 2000 during the then Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihar Vajpayee, Shri Modi pointed out that approximately 3 lakh 80 thousand kilometers of rural roads were constructed till 2014, whereas the present government laid down approximately 3 lakh 50 thousand kilometers in the last nine years. Out of this, the Prime Minister added, 70 thousand kilometers of rural roads were constructed in the villages of Rajasthan itself. “Now most of the villages in the country are connected by pucca roads”, he added.
The Prime Minister said that the Government of India, along with taking roads to villages, is connecting cities with modern highways. National Highways are being constructed at double the speed compared to pre-2014 days. He recalled the recent dedication of a section of Delhi Mumbai Expressway at Dausa.
“Today’s India is an aspirational society. And people want to get more facilities in less time. It is our responsibility to fulfill the aspiration of the people of India and Rajasthan”, said the Prime Minister
Emphasizing the importance of the Railway in the life of the common citizen, the Prime Minister elaborated on the plans to modernize the railway through multi-pronged measures like modern trains, railway stations and tracks. He said Rajasthan has already got its first Vande Bharat. Gauge change of Mavli Marwar section and broad gauging of Ahmedabad and Udaipur route was also fulfilled.
The Prime Minister informed that the government is focussed on the electrification of the entire rail network in the country after doing away with unmanned gates. He also underlined that the modernization of hundreds of railway stations in the country is also taking place along similar lines to the Udaipur Railway Station and the visitor handling capacity is being increased. For freight trains, the Prime Minister said, a special track, a dedicated freight corridor is being constructed. He highlighted that the railway budget of Rajasthan has increased fourteen times when compared to 2014.
The Prime Minister also underlined the benefits of increased connectivity for tourism and places of faith in Rajasthan. He recalled the valour of Maharana Pratap, the generosity of Bhamashah and the story of Veer Panna Dai. He talked about the country paying tributes to Maharana Pratap on his Jayanti yesterday. The Prime Minister said that the Government is working on various circuits to preserve the heritage of the country. Places of Pilgrimage related to Lord Krishan are being connected.
Governor of Rajasthan, Shri Kalraj Mishra, Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot, Members of Parliament and Ministers from the Government of Rajasthan were present on the occasion among others.
PM lays foundation stone, dedicates to nation infrastructure projects in Rajasthan
