Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Puducherry today, he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of development projects worth more than Rs 2700 crore here, while addressing the gathering the Prime Minister said that it is an honor for me to be in Puducherry. It is the land of accomplished saints, poets and freedom fighters. It was here that the great poet Subramaniam Bharati ignited the flame of nationalism. It was from here that Sri Aurobindo and Mother provided a new spiritual vision to the entire world.
He said that when I first came here, I had given the slogan ‘BEST Puducherry’. BEST stands for – Business, Education, Spirituality and Tourism. Over the last four and a half years, this vision is proving fruitful. Good governance and development has been witnessed in Puducherry. When the Center and Union Territories work with the same vision and dedication, results are achieved faster and better. The per capita income of Puducherry has increased significantly. It has also achieved the highest Social Progress Index in the country. Now, the two-engine NDA government will provide further impetus to the development of Puducherry. Today, projects worth Rs 2700 crore are being inaugurated and foundation stones are being laid.
Modi said special emphasis is being laid on building high quality infrastructure across India. In this year’s budget we have allocated a record Rs 12 lakh crore for building infrastructure. The people of Puducherry will also benefit from this. We have included Puducherry in the special assistance scheme given to states for capital investment, which was earlier open only to states. More money for infrastructure would enable better roads, water supply, coastal infrastructure, schools, hospitals and many such projects.
He said that strong and energetic youth are the foundation of our progress. We are trying to make their dreams come true. At NIT Karaikal, the new Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Engineering Block and modern hospital facilities will strengthen the technical education for many students. Infrastructure has also been upgraded in Puducherry University. Electric buses are being provided under PM e-bus service. Today the housing projects associated with our program will provide stability and dignity to families. Projects worth several hundred crores are underway across Puducherry.
Connectivity to Chennai will improve
Modi said connectivity is the backbone of progress. We are focusing on both rural and urban infrastructure. On the one hand, hundreds of kilometers of rural roads are being constructed. These are improving connectivity for students, farmers and small businesses. On the other hand, we are also working to reduce traffic jams in Puducherry. We have announced projects worth Rs 1000 crore in Puducherry city. It also includes a flyover worth Rs 140 crore. Connectivity to Chennai is being improved through the renovation of the East Coast Road and the Grand Southern Trunk Road. Travel time between Puducherry and Chennai will reduce to about 1.5 to 2 hours.
Tourism is the biggest strength of Puducherry.
Tourism is one of the biggest strengths of Puducherry. It is a popular place to visit on weekends and is already visited by thousands of tourists. Trains and airplanes are always full. The credit for this goes to the affectionate behavior of the people of Puducherry. With investments in spiritual tourism, eco tourism and health tourism, we are scaling new heights, it is important to celebrate the good work being done by the double engine government. But it is equally important to remember how the situation was earlier.
Congress and DMK were targeted
Taking aim at the opposition, Modi said that Congress had made Puducherry an ATM for a family sitting in Delhi. Talking about DMK, a long list of scams is being seen in Tamil Nadu also. Congress and DMK had become a hindrance in the development of Puducherry. Now the same forces are desperate for power again. Should Puducherry go back to that era of corruption and crime? I am sure the people of Puducherry do not want this.
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