Asserting that infrastructure could play a pivotal role in bolstering India’s economic growth, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said concerted efforts have led to rolling out of stuck projects worth `4 lakh crore.
“The Government is working towards removing bottlenecks and simplifying procedures to speed up implementation of infrastructure projects,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing a public rally after laying the foundation stone for three highway projects in Sonipat on Thursday.
“Infrastructure plays a major role in development of a nation. During the last five-six months, I have held monthly meetings with Chief Ministers through video conferencing regarding pending projects… Worth `4 lakh crore have been rolled out,” he said.
Nobody would have imagined during 60 years that highways building would pick up at such fast pace in the country under the leadership of Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, said the PM, adding that the projects include Bharatmala, Sagarmala and Sethu Bharatam.
lauding efforts of Haryana Government and Union Minister for Road and Transport Nitin Gadkari for accelerating the tempo of infrastructure development, Modi said, “Haryana is a small State, but projects worth `32,000 crore have been sanctioned for the State.”
Citing example of Korea, Modi said a network of highways was the basis of modern Korea and the Government would lay emphasis that a wide network of highways be created in the country, including linking of 123 districts with national highways, which sadly were devoid of it despite over six decades of Independence.
“Korea is a good example and how it has progressed by leaps and bounds. Their rulers started a modern highway cutting through the country, but there was much controversy as it was reasoned at that time that the nation is poor. It does not have schools, hospitals and spending so much money on roads was not a wise step, but rulers of that country at that time still went ahead and did this and it changed the fate of entire Korea,” Modi said.
While criticising the previous Government, except former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s time at the helm, he said none of the Government ever thought about overall road network development, but Vajpayee was the only one who did tremendous work to improve condition of roads leading to the development of the country.
Elaborating about projects launched by Road, Transport and Highways Ministry, the PM said under Sethu Bharatam, 375 bridges are needed for connectivity because the project aimed at providing vital connectivity through bridges.
On the other side, Sagarmala would usher in port-led development projects in coastal cities, said the PM, adding that coastal trade too played a pivotal role in the economic growth of the country.
Stressing on promoting waterways, Modi said if apples of Himachal Pradesh could be delivered to different corners in the world through this mode, think how much the farmers would be benefited. He also stressed on rail-road connectivity at the same time.
The PM said the Government has undertaken several initiatives, including converting the present rail era into a modern one with initiatives like expansion and modernisation of railway stations.
Meanwhile, Modi showed his concern over the non-connectivity of as many as 123 districts in the country, which are around 20 per cent of the whole districts, with national highways and announced to connect them with national highways under “Bharat Mala” project.
Unfortunately, 18,000 villages in modern India still lack electricity connection and no electric pole or wire is there in the 21st century but the Government is committed in this direction too, he said.
Noting infrastructure projects such as roads and power are the first pre-requisite of development and new highways will give pace to Haryana’s growth, he also pitched his vision of providing 24x7 power supply to all parts of the country by 2022.