New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked a historic moment by laying the foundation stone and inaugurating around 2000 railway infrastructure projects worth over Rs. 41,000 crores through a virtual ceremony. The Viksit Bharat Viksit Railways event witnessed participation from lakhs of people connected at 500 railway stations and 1500 other venues.
Addressing the occasion, the Prime Minister emphasized that the event symbolizes the new work culture of New India, showcasing unprecedented speed and scale in the nation’s endeavors. He highlighted the recent momentum gained in various projects, particularly mentioning the massive expansions in the education and health sectors initiated in Jammu and Gujarat.
The Prime Minister lauded the scale and speed of projects, covering 550 stations in 12 states spread over 300 districts during today’s event. He congratulated the citizens of India for the railway projects, emphasizing their immense significance. He expressed gratitude to the youth, the real beneficiaries of Viksit Bharat, for their contributions, hard work, and dreams that align with the government’s resolve.
Highlighting that the upcoming Amrit Bharat Stations will be symbols of both development and heritage, Prime Minister Modi shared details about the unique designs of several stations. For instance, Baleshwar Station in Odisha draws inspiration from Bhagwan Jagannath Temple, Sikkim’s Rangpur reflects local architecture, Sangner station in Rajasthan showcases 16th-century hand-block printing, and Ahmedabad Station takes inspiration from Modhera Surya Mandir.
The Prime Minister underscored the transformative changes in India’s railways in the last decade, evident in facilities and advancements such as Modernized Semi High-Speed trains like Vande Bharat, Amrit Bharat, NaMo Bharat, rapid electrification of rail lines, and improved cleanliness.
Pointing out the government’s commitment to making railways a mainstay of ease of travel, Prime Minister Modi emphasized the significant increase in the railway budget, reaching 2.5 lakh crore today from 45 thousand crores a decade ago. He credited this growth to the absence of scams and prudent utilization of taxpayers’ money for the welfare of commuters.
PM Modi highlighted the government’s focus on laying new rail lines, extending rails to new areas, and developing a 2,500 KM dedicated freight corridor. He affirmed the commitment to utilizing every paisa of taxpayers’ money for commuters’ welfare and providing a 50 percent discount on every railway ticket.
The Prime Minister emphasized the economic impact of infrastructure spending, creating new sources of income and employment. He highlighted the ‘One Station One Product’ program, promoting products by small farmers, artisans, and craftsmen through thousands of stalls at railway stations.
Concluding his address, the Prime Minister outlined the way forward for the next five years, foreseeing a substantial increase in Indian Railways’ capacity through the modernization of thousands of stations, heralding a revolution of significant investment.