PM Modi while launching several projects in Nagpur on Sunday, December 11 said politics of short-cuts is malady…

PM Modi

Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde, Governor of Maharashtra, Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari were present.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation various projects worth over ₹ 75,000 crores in Maharashtra today, which included national rail projects over ₹1500 crores, National Institute of One Health (NIO), Nagpur and Nag river pollution abatement project, Nagpur. During the programme, the Prime Minister also dedicated ‘Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering & Technology (CIPET), Chandrapur’ to the nation and inaugurated ‘Centre for Research, Management and Control of Hemoglobinopathies, Chandrapur’.

Earlier in the day, he flagged off Vande Bharat Express from Nagpur to Bilaspur, dedicated ‘Nagpur Metro Phase I’ to the nation, and laid the foundation stone of ‘Nagpur Metro phase- II’. The Prime Minister also inaugurated Phase – I of Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg, which covers a distance of 520 kilometres and connects Nagpur and Shirdi. The Prime Minister also dedicated to the nation, AIIMS Nagpur.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister greeted on the auspicious occasion of Sankashti Chaturthi and hailed Lord Ganpati. The Prime Minister highlighted that this very special day when a bouquet of development works is being launched from Nagpur, Maharashtra will transform the lives of people. “Today a constellation of eleven new stars is rising for the development of Maharashtra which will help in achieving new heights and provide a new direction”, he said. Listing out all the 11 projects the Prime Minister said, “Hindu Hriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samridhi Mahamarg is now ready from Nagpur to Shirdi, AIIMS will benefit the people of Vidarbha, the establishment of National Institute of One Health, ICMR’s research Centre built in Chandrapur, the establishment of CIPT Chandrapur, Various Projects in Nagpur to reduce the pollution of Nag river, the inauguration of Metro Phase I and laying the foundation stone of Phase II, Vande Bharat Express between Nagpur to Bilaspur, the project of redevelopment of ‘Nagpur’ and ‘Ajni’ Railway Station, the inauguration of maintenance depot of 42 thousand horsepower rail engine at Ajni and inauguration of Kohli-Narkhed route of Nagpur-Itarsi line.” The Prime Minister congratulated the people of Maharashtra for these completed and upcoming projects.

Samruddhi Mahamarg linking 24 districts of Maharashtra

The Prime Minister highlighted that today’s projects are proof of the pace of work by the double-engine government of Maharashtra. He underlined that Samruddhi Mahamarg is not just reducing the distance between Nagpur and Mumbai but is also linking 24 districts of Maharashtra with modern connectivity. Apart from a boost in employment opportunities, the Prime Minister said that these connectivity projects will benefit the farmers, pilgrims and industries that are situated in the region.

 Throwing light on the intrinsic planning of these projects, the Prime Minister said that projects that have been inaugurated today paint a picture of the holistic vision of infrastructural development. “Be it AIIMS Nagpur or Samriddhi Mahamarg, be it Vande Bharat Express or the Nagpur Metro, all these projects may differ in their attributes but when put together in the form of a bouquet, the essence of a complete development will reach every citizen”, he said.  Highlighting the efforts of the double-engine government, the Prime Minister pointed out that whether it is about healthcare for the common man or wealth creation, be it empowering the farmer or water conservation, it is a first where the government has given a human form to the infrastructure where a human touch is impacting everyone’s life.

Holistic vision of infrastructural development

Giving examples of the holistic vision of infrastructural development, the Prime Minister said, “The Ayushman Bharat scheme which provides free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh to every poor is an example of our social infra, the development of our places of faith from Kashi, Kedarnath, Ujjain to Pandharpur is an example of our cultural infra, the Jan Dhan Yojana, that connects more than 45 crore poor people to the banking system is an example of our financial infrastructure.” He further added that the campaign to open modern hospitals and medical colleges like Nagpur AIIMS is an example of the medical infrastructure. “Infrastructure cannot just cover lifeless roads and flyovers, its expansion is much bigger”, he added.

 Gosikhurd Dam work accelerated

The Prime Minister gave the example of the Gosekhurd Dam whose foundation was laid thirty to thirty-five years ago with an estimated cost of around Rs 400 crore but was never completed. Modi pointed out that the estimated cost of the dam has now increased to Rs 18 thousand crores. He said, “After the formation of the double-engine government in 2017, the work on this dam has been accelerated, and every problem has been resolved.”

The Prime Minister reiterated, “In the Azaadi ka Amrit Kaal, the country is moving forward with the great resolve of a developed India and it can be achieved with the collective strength of the nation. The mantra for building a developed India is the development of the state for the nation’s development.” Learning from experience, the Prime Minister underlined that when development is limited, opportunities also get limited. Furthering his point, the Prime Minister explained that when education was limited to a select few, the talent of the nation could not come to the fore, when few people had access to banks, trade business also remained limited, and when better connectivity was limited to only a few cities, growth was also limited to the same extent. The Prime Minister said that as a result, neither the large population of the country was availing the full benefits of the development nor the real strength of India was coming to the fore. “Those who were deprived earlier have now become priority for the government.” Giving examples of farmer-led development, Shri Modi pointed out that the farmers of Vidarbha have also got the big benefit of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi and it is the government which has linked the facility of Kisan Credit Card by giving priority to the cattle herders.

Warns about political parties looting taxpayers’ money

The Prime Minister also warned everyone about the emergence of the politics of short-cut in India. He warned that political parties are looting the hard-earned taxpayers’ money for political interests and adopting shortcuts with the aim of forming the government by making false promises. PM Modi reiterated that at a time when the country is working towards becoming a developed nation in the next 25 years, some political parties want to destroy the economy of India for their own self-interest. The Prime Minister lamented the lost opportunities of not being able to take advantage of the first industrial revolution and lagging behind during the second-third industrial revolution. He reiterated that when it is time for the fourth industrial revolution, India cannot miss it. “No country can run with short-cuts, a permanent solution with a long-term vision is very important for the progress of the country”, Modi remarked.

(News Credit: PIB) 

Also read: PM Modi inaugurates AIIMS 5 years after laying foundation stone in Nagpur