PM Modi inaugurates multiple projects in poll-bound Uttarakhand, says ‘previous govt wasted valuable time of the state’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated a slew of projects worth around Rs 18,000 crores, including the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor, in Uttarakhand. He was welcomed at the inaugural event by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and also addressed a massive rally.
The Prime Minister said that the previous Congress-led government had “wasted valuable time” of the country and Uttarakhand.
“At the beginning of this century, Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji started a campaign to increase connectivity in India. But after him, such a government was in power in the country for 10 year that wasted valuable time of the country and Uttarakhand,” he said.
He further said that connectivity ‘mahayagya’ is underway in country to make up for the loss during 10 years of previous government.
“For the last 10 years, scams are taking place in the name of infrastructure in the country. We worked twice as hard to compensate for the loss caused to the country and are doing it even today,” he added
The Prime Minister also said that in the last five years, the Centre had approved more than Rs 1 lakh crores for the development of Uttarakhand.
Today, India is moving forward with the intention of investing more than Rs 100 lakh crores in modern infrastructure: PM Narendra Modi in Dehradun, Uttarakhand
Mounting his attack at the previous Congress government, the Prime Minister said, “Our mountains and culture are not only our faith but also the fortresses of our country’s security. We prioritise ease of living for people living in the mountains. Unfortunately, it was nowhere in the policy strategy of those who remained in power for decades.”
He also drew a parallel between the development work done by his dispensation and previous Congress-led government in the state.
“Between 2007 and 2014, the Central government built only 288 kms of national highways worth Rs 600 crore in Uttarakhand, whereas our government in its seven years has constructed national highways of more than 2,000 kms worth Rs 12,000 crore in Uttarakhand,” he said.
Assembly elections in Uttarakhand are scheduled to be held early next year.
“A significant focus of the Prime Minister’s visit to the poll-bound state of Uttarakhand will be on the projects that aim improve road infrastructure, which will eventually aid tourism in the region. This is in line with the vision of PM Modi to boost connectivity in areas which were once considered far-flung. The total number of ongoing works for the development of National Highways in Uttarakhand is 83, which are set to complete between 2021 and 2023,” the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had said in an official statement ahead of Modi’s visit.
Alongside the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor, the PM also inaugurated seven other projects in Dehradun, including a landslide mitigation project at Lambagad (en route to the Badrinath Dham) and chronic landslide treatment at Sakanidhar, Srinagar and Devprayag on NH-58.
“The Lambagad landslide mitigation project in the chronic landslide zone includes the construction of reinforced earth wall and rockfall barriers. The location of the project further adds to its strategic significance. The road-widening project from Devprayag to Srikot and from Brahmpuri to Kodiyala on NH-58 will be done under the Char Dham Road connectivity project,” the Ministry said.
Among other projects, the corridor will also be environment-friendly as the central government has planned to have Asia’s largest wildlife elevated corridor (12 kms) for unrestricted wildlife movement.
“A 340-metre-long tunnel near the Dat Kaali temple in Dehradun will help reduce the impact on wildlife and multiple animal passes have been provided in the Ganeshpur-Dehradun section for avoiding animal-vehicle collisions,” the Ministry added.
