AHMEDABAD: In his two-day visit to poll-bound Gujarat, Prime Minister Modi on Thursday indirectly blamed the previous UPA government in the Centre for the “lack of concern” for the state’s development.
Citing his personal experience, the PM said when he was the Gujarat CM, he felt frustrated in repeatedly explaining the need for an airport in Surat to the then UPA government.
While addressing a gathering in Bhavnagar, he said Gujarat has the longest coastline in the country, but due to the lack of focus, the state’s coastal development remained a big challenge during the post-independence decades. The PM laid the foundation stone and inaugurated projects worth Rs 3,400 crore.
“We were tired of telling the then Central government of the importance of an airport for Surat. Today, you know how many flights operate from there, how many people land there every day, and how it has helped the city’s development. This is the benefit of the double-engine government,” he said.
He inaugurated Phase-I of road infrastructure works and the main entrance of Diamond Research and Mercantile (DREAM) City. The PM said Surat would emerge as the safest and most convenient diamond trading hub in the world.
The PM noted Surat’s textile and diamond business, which sustains the lives of thousands of families across the country. On the National Logistics Policy, the Prime Minister said work was underway on multi-modal connectivity in the state. Giving an example of linking Surat to Kashi and eastern.
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Uttar Pradesh, the PM said truckloads of goods are transported daily, and now the railways and coastal departments have come up with unique innovations to boost the number of shipments. “The railways has changed the design of its coaches in such a way that cargo can easily fit in them. After the initial success, an attempt is being made to run a new train from Surat to Kashi for commercial and passenger services,” the PM added.
“In the coming years, Surat will also be known for electric vehicles. Today 25 charging stations have been inaugurated in Surat city and the foundation stone for the same number of stations has been laid. This is a big step towards setting up 500 charging stations across Surat. We shall continue the pace of development,” he said.
The PM also inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for projects worth over Rs 5,200 crore in Bhavnagar. Among the projects is the world’s first CNG Terminal and the brownfield port at Bhavnagar.
Bhavnagar gets projects worth Rs 5,200 crore