The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, has dedicated various development projects worth over Rs. 3200 crores to the nation at Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala today. The dedication included the Kochi Water Metro, laying the foundation stone of various rail projects, and the Digital Science Park in Thiruvananthapuram. Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister flagged off Kerala’s first Vande Bharat Express between Thiruvananthapuram and Kasargod.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister greeted the people for Vishu, and underlined that various projects related to the development and connectivity of Kerala have been unveiled today, including the state’s first Vande Bharat Express, Kochi’s first Water Metro, and several Railway developments. He congratulated the citizens of Kerala for these development projects.
The Prime Minister commended the education and awareness level of Kerala and said that the hard work and politeness of the people of Kerala give them a unique identity. He said the people of Kerala are capable of understanding the global scenario and they can appreciate how India is being considered a vibrant spot of development amidst difficult times, and the promise of India’s development is being acknowledged globally.
The Prime Minister attributed the trust shown by the world towards India to a decisive government at the center that takes quick and firm decisions for the welfare of the country, the unprecedented investment made in strengthening and modernizing the infrastructure of India, investments made towards enhancing the skill set of the youth, and finally the commitment of the central government towards Ease of Living and Ease of Doing Business. He further added that the government focuses on cooperative federalism and considers the development of states as the development of the country. “We are working with a service-oriented approach. The nation can progress at a faster rate only if Kerala progresses,” the Prime Minister remarked.
The Prime Minister said one of the reasons for the growing stature of the country is due to the outreach efforts of the central government, which has benefited the Keralites who live abroad. India’s growing might is helping the Indian Diaspora greatly, he said.
The Prime Minister said that in the last 9 years, work on connectivity infrastructure has been undertaken at an unprecedented speed and scale. He informed that in this year’s budget also, it is proposed to spend more than 10 lakh crore on infrastructure. “The public transport and logistics sector is being completely transformed in the country. We are moving towards the golden age of Indian railways,” he said and remarked that the average rail budget before 2014 has increased fivefold now.
Talking about the developments in railways carried out in Kerala in the last 9 years, the Prime Minister mentioned the work done with respect to gauge conversion, doubling, and electrification of railway tracks. He mentioned that work for the redevelopment of three major railway stations in Kerala has been initiated today with a vision to make it a multimodal transport hub. “Vande Bharat Express is the identity of aspirational India,” the Prime Minister said as he highlighted the transforming rail network in India, which makes it possible to run such semi-high speed trains with ease.
The Prime Minister said that all the Vande Bharat trains, so far, are connecting places of cultural, spiritual, and tourism importance. “Kerala’s first Vande Bharat train will link North Kerala with South Kerala. The train will ease travel to places of pilgrimage like Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, and Kannur,” he said. He also talked about the environmental benefits of the modern train. The Prime Minister informed that work has been initiated today to prepare the Thiruvananthapuram-Shoranur section for semi-high speed trains
