PM Modi lays foundation stone for railway projects worth over Rs 8000 cr in Odisha

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone and dedicated several railway projects to the nation worth more than Rs 8000 crores in Odisha via video conferencing on Thursday.

The projects include flagging off the Vande Bharat Express between Puri and Howrah, laying the foundation stone for the redevelopment of Puri and Cuttack railway stations, electrification of the rail network in Odisha, and doubling of the Sambalpur-Titlagarh rail line among others.

Addressing the gathering, the PM said “India’s speed and progress can be seen whenever a Vande Bharat train runs from one place to another. This will entirely change the meaning of development along with the experience of travelling for the passengers.

Be it travelling from Kolkata to Puri for darshan or the other way round, the Prime Minister informed that the travel time will now be reduced to only six and half hours, thereby saving time, giving rise to business opportunities and providing new opportunities for the youth,”.

The Prime Minister noted that the railway is the first choice and priority for any citizen who wishes to travel afar and mentioned the other railway development projects whose foundation stone has been laid today including the redevelopment and modernization of Puri and Cuttack Railway Stations, along with the dedication of doubling of rail lines in the region and 100 per cent electrification of rail lines in Odisha.

Referring to the era of Azadi Ka Amrit Kaal, the Prime Minister emphasized the need to strengthen the unity and integrity of the country and said that the collective capabilities of the country can reach the pinnacle if the country remains totally united.

He remarked that the Vande Bharat Express is a reflection of such belief where it is becoming the engine of development for the country while forwarding the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’.

Informing that the number of airports in the country increased from 75 to 150 today, the Prime Minister drew attention to the various photographs and videos on social media where ordinary citizens of the country can be seen sharing their air travel experience

The Prime Minister also touched upon another aspect of building infrastructure which is not talked about as much. He said that infrastructure not only makes people’s lives easier but also empowers society.”The development of the people lags behind when there is a lack of infrastructure. When infrastructure is developed, the rapid development of the people takes place simultaneously”, the Prime Minister said.

Highlighting the development initiatives, the Prime Minister gave the example of PM Saubhagya Yojana where the Government has provided free electricity connections to more than 2.5 crore households including about 25 lakh houses in Odisha and 7.25 lakh houses in West Bengal.

Informing that the number of airports in the country increased from 75 to 150 today, the Prime Minister drew attention to the various photographs and videos on social media where ordinary citizens of the country can be seen sharing their air travel experience.

The Prime Minister said that India’s achievements in the field of infrastructure are the subject of studies today. “When 10 lakh crores are allocated for infrastructure, that creates lakhs of jobs and railway and highway connectivity goes beyond ease of travel and connects farmers with new markets, tourists with new attractions and students with their preferred colleges,” the PM said.

The Prime Minister said that the country is moving with the spirit of ‘Jan Seva hi Prabhu Seva’ – Service of people is the service of God. He mentioned Temples like Jagannath and places of pilgrimage like Puri where Prasad has been distributed for centuries and thousands of poor people are fed.

He said in the same spirit initiatives like PM Garib Kalyan Scheme providing free ration to 80 crore people and schemes like Ayushman Card, Ujwalla, Jal Jeevan Mission and PM Awas Yojana.

“Today the poor are getting all those basic facilities for which they had to wait for years”, he said. “Balanced development of the states is equally necessary for the rapid development of India”, the Prime Minister said as he highlighted the nation’s endeavour that no state should lag behind in the race of development due to lack of resources.

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