Kicking off three major development projects, including the ambitious Nagpur Metro rail, and dedicating to the nation the phase-I of the Mouda Super thermal project, amidst a boycott of the functions by Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that he looked at the growing urbanisation across the country as an opportunity to make the upcoming cities as the epi-centres of economic development.
In his second foray into Assembly poll-bound Maharashtra in less than a week, the Prime Minister pushed his development agenda for Nagpur and surrounding areas, by laying a foundation stone for the ambitious Metro Rail Project, Pardi grade separator and flyover on NH-6 and dedicated the 1,000 MW stage I of Mouda Super Thermal Power Project to the nation at Mouda in Nagpur district of Maharashtra.
On a day when Chavan and deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar skipped the Prime Minister’s functions held in and around the orange city of Nagpur fearing booing by the crowds gathered at these engagements, Modi said that his Government considered rampant urbanisation that was taking across the country not as a problem or a challenge for the country, but as an opportunity.
“We have so far dealt urbanisation as either a problem or a burden. But, I consider urbanisation as an opportunity. I look at the upcoming cities as an opportunity to create epi-centres of economic development. … Making most of this opportunity we have to prepare a blueprint of development in around and the upcoming cities. It is in this context, our Government is stressing on the need for creating 100 smart cities across the country,” the Prime Minister said.
Addressing a large gathering of people at Kasturchand Park at Nagpur after laying down the foundation stone of a proposed mass rapid transport system (MRTS) or metro rail project, Modi said that the metro rail was increasingly becoming a status symbol for any developing city across world.
Maharashtra Governor K Sankaranarayanan, Minister for Urban Development M Venkaiah Naidu, Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, and Minister of State for Power Piyush Goyal were present on the occasion.
Outlining his vision for solid waste management and waste water management in 500 urban centres across India, through the PPP model, Modi said: “We want to select 500 cities in the country and convert solid waste there into fertilizers and treat waste water for a reuse on a private-public-partnership model…Give that organic fertilizer and treated water to the neighbouring villages to grow vegetables. Then, the cities will turn cleaner, and the villages will get organic manure as well as treated waste-water for their farming”.
Ironically enough, Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, who had pushed the Nagpur Metro rail project in the initial stages, was conspicuous by his absence at the function. Mooted by the Congress-NCP government in 2011 and given an in-principle nod by the UPA-II just before the lok Sabha polls, the Nagpur metro rail project has been given a swift push by Union Surface Transport Minister and local BJP MP Nitin Gadkari, ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly polls, scheduled for October this year.
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday cleared a Rs 8,860 crore Nagpur metro rail project. The 38.21 km-long project, scheduled to be completed by March 2018, will be funded on an equal sharing basis between the state government and the Centre, with the latter contributing Rs 1,555 crore as equity and subordinate debt.
Chavan’s absence at the function was in line with the stand taken by the Congress which had asked its chief ministers in the poll-bound states to stay away from the PM’s functions. Chavan had himself been booed by the crowds at a function held at Solapur in Modi’s presence last week.
As part of protocol, the Maharashtra government had deputed its senior minister Shivajirao Moghe to receive Prime Minister Modi on his arrival at the Nagpur airport. After receiving the Prime Minister at the Nagpur airport, Moghe however, stayed away from Modi's functions in Nagpur.
In a related development, Congress workers staged a black flag demonstration in Nagpur in protest against the manner in which the BJP was humiliating its chief ministers in the presence of Prime Minister Modi. Several of the Congress protesters were detained by the police and let off subsequently.
Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu announced that the proposal for Pune Metro and third phase of Mumbai Metro projects would be approved in the next couple of days, an announcement that comes ahead of the assembly polls.
Naidu remarked that it would have been nice if the Maharashtra chief minister was present at the function. Modi, however, chose not to refer to the absence of Chavan at the function.
Earlier in the afternoon, the Prime Minister dedicated the 1000MW ( 2X500 MW) stage I of Mouda Super Thermal Power Project to the nation at Mouda in Nagpur district of Maharashtra
Addressing the gathering at Mouda, Modi declared that providing electricity to everyone across the country was the topmost priority of his government. He said that for any country to progress, priority has to be given to infrastructure.
“If we can deliver durable infrastructure, possibilities of development increase, he added, stating that even among all kinds of infrastructure, power is most important, as it is a crucial element in bringing about change in the quality of life of the people,” the Prime Minister said.
Modi said that even so many years after independence, power had not reached every nook and corner of the country, and in many areas there were acute power shortages.
He, however. reiterated his government`s resolve to provide electricity to all people across the country. The Prime Minister recalled the plight of debt-ridden farmers in Vidarbha, who were forced to commit suicide. He said, if they had access to electricity, they could have pumped the water necessary to irrigate their fields, saved their crop, and hence avoided falling into debt.
The Prime Minister announced the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana on August 28 and appealed to the farmers to avail of the benefits of the scheme, which included a bank account, a debit card, and an insurance amount of Rs. One lakh. He also spoke of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, which aimed at providing sufficient water to the farmer for irrigation.