Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India has emerged as a developmental bright spot in the global landscape thanks to a strong and decisive government, a new-found thrust on development of modern infrastructure, unmatched demographic dividends and skillsets, and continued focus on ease of doing business.
The last nine years have witnessed an unprecedented scale of investments on infrastructure, he said this while launching eight major infrastructure projects worth ₹3,200 crore at a function here on Tuesday, the second day of visit of Kerala. He had left the Kerala capital for Surat in Gujarat.
Thrust on infrastructure
The Prime Minister said this year’s budget has set apart as much as ₹10 lakh crore on infrastructure development with core focus on public transport and logistics. The Centre has laid thrust on cooperative development that ensures faster growth provided the States also tag themselves in. During the last nine years, investment on railway infrastructure has grown five times to more than ₹2,000 crore in Kerala with a thrust on gauge conversion and electrification. Three major railway stations in the State will be soon developed to world-class specifications. They will also be made multi-modal transport hubs. The fist Vande Bharat train launched here on Tuesday will pilot this developmental phase.
Semi-high speed trains
The Thiruvananthapuram-Shoranur stretch will soon be developed to run semi-high speed trains. Going forward, the entire Thiruvananthapuram-Mangaluru stretch will be straightened out and strengthened to run these services. The inter-modal connectivity being offered by the Kochi Water Metro that in turn links boat jetties and bus terminals will be a model for other States, Modi said.
The Prime Minister lauded the Cochin Shipyard for building electric boats for the Water Metro. The cheaper mode of transport will not just ease congestion but also offer modern convenience to islanders around Kochi, apart from boosting backwater tourism. Improving physical connectivity will help improve digital connectivity, too. A major achievement here is the development of India’s own 5G technology model. Its modern digital infrastructure is the toast of even the developed world.
Ek Bharat, Shresht Bharat
Investment in connectivity will reduce the gap between and connect different cultures, castes, religions, the rich and poor at a scale hitherto not witnessed. This will help realise the Ek Bharat, Shresht Bharat vision in quick time. Separately, the Prime Minister praised the State government for initiating the Digital Science Park for which he laid the foundation stone at the same event.
Developmental projects
Earlier, the Prime Minister launched eight developmental projects worth ₹3,200 crore, including the Water Metro. He also laid the foundation stone for the Digital Sciences Park involving an investment of ₹1,500 crore, a Kerala government initiative, and the first such in the country. The other projects included the Vande Bharat service, and a slew of railway development projects.