AHMEDABAD
PM Modi says economy is on the right track
Prime Minister Narendra Modi blasted the previous Congress-led UPA government at the Centre on Sunday and said that it blocked Gujarat's development and showed hostility towards him when he was the state Chief Minister.
He defended demonetization and GST and assured that India's economy was on the right track, while opening projects — including an ambitious ferry service — and laying foundations for several schemes in Gujarat where elections are due in December.
He further attacked the Congress and said "people who have won elections thanks to recounting" are questioning the ability of the Election Commission, in a reference to Congress leader Ahmed Patel's recent victory in Rajya Sabha elections. The Commission has not announced the poll dates for Gujarat for now, saying the model code of conduct would disrupt relief operations for flood victims.
"When I was serving as CM, I faced hostility from the then central government. Efforts were made to stall industries and the state's growth. Over the last three years, we have changed that and given importance to the development of Gujarat," the PM said.
He was addressing a gathering in Bhavnagar after inaugurating the Rs 650-crore roll-on-roll off (Ro-Ro) ferry service in the Gulf of Khambhat of the Arabian Sea that would reduce travel time between Ghogha in Bhavnagar district in western Gujarat's Saurashtra region and Dahej in Bharuch district in south Gujarat from seven hours to one hour.
The PM's "dream project" will cut the distance between the two places to 31 km from 360 km. The ferry service was first planned in the early 1960s.
The foundation stone was laid by Modi when he was CM in 2012.
"It is a landmark project not only for India but also for the entire South-East Asia. It is a dream come true for the people of Gujarat," the PM said. He said the ferry was like amrit bestowed upon the people of Gujarat as a blessing from god of oceans Varuna. "We are planning to link other places," he said, noting that plans were afoot to expand the service to Surat's Hazira, Union Territory Diu-Daman and various places in Saurashtra. The second phase will ferry vehicles, and even cruise boats will be made available later on. PM Modi has made multiple visits to his poll-bound home state in recent months to make scathing attacks on the Congress, desperate to return to power after 22 years.
"Gujarat is blessed with a long coastline and we should harness opportunities. We have taken steps in developing coastal infrastructure. Sadly, our transport sector was not integrated enough. We have changed that in the last three years. The goal is to make our transport sector integrated and state of the art."
Modi announced new schemes and dedicated projects worth Rs 1,140 crore to the public. He later travelled on the ferry to Dahej with many differently-abled children he called his "special guests". "Our vision is P for P (ports for prosperity). India needs better ports and more ports," he said. He said the Sagar Mala project alone will provide around 1 crore jobs. It is a strategic and customer-oriented initiative of the Centre to modernise India's ports.
"Our focus is on the blue economy. We see the blue economy as integral to our vision of a new India. Without proper connectivity, the economic development of a nation slows down. Keeping this in mind we are focussing on ports infrastructure."
In Vadodara, the PM again said that Gujarat suffered neglect at the hands of the Congress-led government at the Centre, and it is a time the state recovered its dues. Modi returned from Delhi to his home state in 2001 to become CM, a post he held till he swept the general elections in 2014.
He also lashed out at the Opposition's campaign which seeks to make a mockery of the claims of development by the BJP government. He said that it is beyond the means of the Opposition to think big on development.
"Since I was a child I had been hearing about a ferry service from Ghogha to Dahej. It was not done all these years because development was never a priority for them. When we got a chance to serve we focussed on all-round development and the ferry is operational today," he said.
"If you scan the newspapers before May 2014 you will see continuous mentions about the record corruption in various sectors. We are clear in our working. All our resources will be spent towards the well being of every citizen. Our priority is development," he said. The scale of development works being inaugurated in Vadodara is unprecedented, he said.
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